Former Scottish politician snapped up GTA 5, FIFA, and more as part of $500,000 embezzlement

Peter Murrell, the former Chief Executive of the Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP), is currently being held in custody after pleading guilty to embezzling over $500,000 from the party. Over a 12-year period, Murrell splashed out on luxury watches, multiple coffee machines (a writer's dream), and even a fancy Jaguar SUV. He's also clearly a bit of a gamer, having also spent over $2,500 on consoles, triple-A hits like GTA 5, and the odd accessory.

As broken down by the BBC, Murrell's decade-long spree showcases his need for the latest gaming gear. Buying up PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo hardware, the disgraced politician is certainly a centrist when it comes to console allegiance. Over a five-day period in 2011, Murrell dropped over $500 on four Nintendo 3DS consoles; evidently, he really wanted those Street Pass unlocks.

Murrell liked to play it safe, not when it came to stealing money from the party purse, but in terms of gaming taste. FIFAs 12 to 15 were all on the shopping list, though it looks like he may have had a bad year in Ultimate Team, judging from the lack of further investment into the hit soccer game series. The excellent The Sims 3 Pets gets a mention, though I'm sure Murrell never thought he'd be the one who ended up in the doghouse.

Then, of course, there's GTA 5. As we know, Rockstar North is based out of Scotland's capital, Edinburgh, so there's an argument to be made that Murrell was simply supporting local industry. I fear, however, that Murrell may have gotten himself a bit too immersed in the sort of debauchery the monolithic open-world game espouses.

Murrell is set to be sentenced on June 23, and I would not be surprised if it's a lengthy one. It probably won't be quite as hefty as the 9,999-year-bans Playground Games dished out to Forza Horizon 6 pirates, but I reckon it'll hit the same way.