As chief executive of the SNP Peter Murrell was an extraordinarily influential politician. Along with former SNP leader Alex Salmond he helped turn the party into an election-winning machine. And he married the woman who would increase its popularity even further – Nicola Sturgeon. Then came the news he had admitted embezzling money from the party – and using it to buy everything from toilet rolls and instant coffee to a Jaguar.

At the weekend Sturgeon felt compelled to break her silence and give an interview to the BBC, insisting she knew nothing about her now ex-husband’s crimes. The Guardian’s Scotland editor, Severin Carrell, explains how the case is still unfolding, with a court hearing this week and sentencing this month. He tells Annie Kelly what we have learned about Murrell’s behaviour. “It was almost as if you had a teenager funding their entertainment habits and a lavish lifestyle on somebody else’s credit card,” he says.

Yet, despite Sturgeon insisting she knew nothing about the crimes, it has been a blow to her reputation to hear how her home contained so many items seemingly bought with stolen party funds. Can her legacy as a politician known for her straight-talking and leadership skills survive this?