Jordan Linden, 30, former North Lanarkshire Council leader and chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament (2015–2016), was sentenced to 18 months in prison on May 6, 2026, at Falkirk Sheriff Court. He was convicted in March of 10 offences committed between 2011 and 2021, including five counts of sexual assault, three of stalking, and two involving indecent or non-consensual image exposure. The victims, eight in total, included minors as young as 14. Sheriff Christopher Shead ruled that custody was the only appropriate sentence despite defence arguments citing Linden’s 2021 autism diagnosis, lack of prior convictions, and claims of improved awareness. Linden, who denied the charges, was also placed on the sex offenders’ register. His 2022 resignation triggered the collapse of the SNP administration in North Lanarkshire. Media approached Linden for comment; he declined. No further offences have been reported since 2021.

The headline and summary are AI-generated to reduce bias