Nicola Sturgeon, former First Minister of Scotland, has expressed regret for keeping Peter Murrell as chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP) when she became party leader in 2014.

Speaking at the Hay Festival in Wales to promote her upcoming memoir, she acknowledged Murrell’s key role under Alex Salmond but said, in hindsight, she would have made a different decision.

Murrell, Sturgeon’s estranged husband, admitted to embezzling over £400,000 from the SNP, using the funds to purchase luxury items, cars, and a motorhome.He was remanded in custody and awaits sentencing in June.

Sturgeon emphasised that the misconduct began before her tenure as party leader and maintained that she was misled and deceived, asserting that she is not responsible for his criminal actions.

She also refuted claims of suppressing questions about the party’s finances and highlighted that professional audits showed no prior indications of embezzlement.

Calls for a parliamentary inquiry have been dismissed by First Minister John Swinney, who described Murrell’s actions as appalling but unnecessary for further investigation following a five-year police examination.

The controversy has caused personal distress for Sturgeon, who described it as the worst period of her life, stating she felt betrayed and misled, and acknowledged she might need therapy to cope with the fallout.