Jordan Linden, a former leader of North Lanarkshire Council and a former member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), was sentenced to 18 months in prison at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Tuesday after a conviction on ten sexual offences. The court found Linden guilty of five counts of sexual assault, stalking and coercing individuals into viewing sexual images, committed between 2011 and 2021 against victims as young as 14.

The sentencing followed a trial earlier this year, during which the court heard that Linden targeted vulnerable teenagers and young men, engaging in repeated inappropriate sexual contact and explicit communication. The defence sought a non‑custodial sentence, citing Linden’s childhood bullying and later autism diagnosis, but Sheriff Christopher Shead ruled that the seriousness of the crimes required custodial punishment and ordered Linden to be placed on the sex offenders’ register.

Outside the court, an angry crowd shouted at Linden as he arrived for sentencing, with videos of the scene circulating online. The case has prompted the SNP to launch a review of its complaints procedures after complaints about Linden were reportedly downplayed or ignored. The Scottish Youth Parliament also acknowledged the seriousness of the case and said it had cooperated with investigations.

Linden resigned as council leader in 2022 following the allegations and later quit both the council and the SNP. The sentencing is intended to deliver justice to the victims and the party is expected to implement reforms to its handling of sexual misconduct complaints.