Peter Murrell's lawyers get first £5k of legal aid cash with more expected

Embezzler Peter Murrell’s lawyers have received nearly £5,000 in taxpayer-funded legal aid – with much more likely to follow.

Lawyers have up to four months after the end of court proceeding to submit their accounts for legal aid – with some estimates that the final bill for representing Murrell could top £30,000.

It comes after it emerged yesterday that SNP ministers could close a legal aid ‘loophole’ which helped Murrell in a shake-up of the system which includes a plan for the ‘clawback’ of payments.

Scottish Tory justice spokesman Stephen Kerr said: ‘Ordinary Scots who play by the rules will be astonished that they are helping to pay the legal costs of a man who admitted embezzling more than £400,000.

‘This is yet another insult to taxpayers and another indictment of the SNP’s broken justice system.

‘Ministers must stop dithering, shut these loopholes and ensure public money is spent supporting victims – not criminals.’

Murrell, 61, qualified for means-tested legal support as his £700,000 property and pension assets had been frozen by prosecutors. The Scottish Legal Aid Board said the amount paid to counsel to date on Murrell’s behalf is £4,831.

Last month, Simon Brown, of the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association, told the BBC’s Scotcast podcast there was a ‘lot of merit’ in changing the rules so that cash could be reclaimed from criminals.

Asked to speculate on the final legal aid bill for Murrell, he said: ‘At a conservative estimate, it’s not going to be less than £30,000 – it depends on how much paperwork there is.’

Scotland’s legal aid system cost a record £169million in 2024/25.