Nicola Sturgeon has maintained she never knew about a £125,000 campervan purchased by her estranged husband , former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, with party money. A local resident, 18‑year‑old journalism student Ryan‑Thomas Quinn, says he saw Sturgeon at her mother‑in‑law’s house in Dunfermline in autumn 2022 while the vehicle sat on the driveway, directly contradicting her statements to the police.

Quinn’s Autumn 2022 sighting at Asda Halbeath

According to Quinn, who posted on X earlier this week, he recognized Sturgeon buying dinner at a nearby Asda and later walking to her mother‑in‑law’s bungalow, where the campervan was parked. He told The Telegraph, “I just find it unbelievable that clearly she was at her mother‑in‑law’s house, and she didn’t think to ask her the question, ‘Where did the campervan on the driveway come from?’” Quinn added that the motorhome was “always on the driveway” throughout 2022, a detail he says he observed while passing the property regularly.

Murrell’s guilty plea and the £400,310.65 embezzlement

Peter Murrell pleaded guilty on Monday to siphoning £400,310.65 from the SNP, a case that revealed an “extraordinary shopping list” of luxury items, including the £125,000 campervan, Lalique salt and pepper grinders worth £2,600, and two Fortnum & Mason advent calendars valued at £200. As reported by the source, the court papers also listed a £425 necklace and a 9ct gold pendant bought for Sturgeon during a 2019 Shetland jewellery trip.

Sturgeon’s legal defence and the disputed driveway claim

In a statement released through her lawyer, Sturgeon reiterated that she and Murrell kept separate bank accounts and that she had “no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever that personal items had been purchased using SNP funds.” She further claimed she only learned of the campervan’s existence when it appeared in a police investigation in early 2023. The statement also noted that her lawyers did not coontest the 2022 Dunfermline visit, but sources suggested the van’s exact position—between Mrs Murrell’s bungalow and a neighbour’s house—might have made it difficult to identify as belonging to the family.

Political fallout as SNP faces renewed scrutiny

The case adds another layer to the SNP’s ongoing scandal over fund misuse, which has already forced Murrell’s sentencing to be scheduled for a later date. Public skepticism has grown,with the resident’s account providing a tangible challenge to Sturgeon’s narrative. As the former first minister continues to defend her innocence, the party must grapple with both legal repercussions and a potential erosion of voter trust ahead of the next Holyrood election.

Unanswered questions about Sturgeon’s awareness

Two specific points remain unclear: whether Sturgeon ever inquired about the campervan during her 2022 visit, and how the vehicle was concealed from her if it was indeed on the driveway for two years.. The source notes that Murrell’s statements to a jewellery shop owner—“I’m the man with the money”—suggest a level of confidence that could imply shared knowledge, but no direct evidence links Sturgeon to the purchase.