Serial intercourse predator SNP council chief jailed for decade of abuse
Jordan Linden, a former SNP council leader, has been jailed for a string of sexual offences and placed on the sex offenders’ register
Jordan Linden leaving court(Image: Jane Barlow/PA Wire)
A former SNP council leader who was found guilty of multiple sex offences against teenagers and young men has been jailed.
Jordan Linden, 30, resigned as the leader of North Lanarkshire Council in July 2022 after reports of alleged sexual harassment emerged, leading to the collapse of the SNP administration in the area. The sex predator, who left the SNP in 2024, was convicted of 10 separate offences in March following a trial at Falkirk Sheriff Court.
These included five sexual assaults and he was also found guilty of charges involving sexual communication and of engaging in a course of conduct causing fear or alarm.
Linden was jailed, on Wednesday, for jailed for 18 months and placed on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years. The offences spanned the period 2011 to 2021 and took place at locations in North Lanarkshire, in Scotland, and elsewhere. Linden was convicted in March, following a seven-day trial, and sentenced today.
The trial heard how the 30-year-old sent unwanted communications to seven teens, with the youngest being a 14-year-old. These included images of the council leader in bath and photos of his genitalia.
Police Scotland also said Linden sexually assaulted two victims sat a post-Pride parade house party in Dundee. Linden, who was also the chair of Scottish Youth Parliament between 2015 and 2016, was charged in February 2024 but denied any wrongdoing.
Sentencing Linden, Sheriff Christopher Shead said he had considered submissions from Linden’s lawyer David Moggach KC but decided that jail was the only appropriate way of dealing with matter. However he said: “The first question the court requires to address is if a custodial sentence is the only disposal.
“It’s necessary for the court to consider the number of offences of which Mr Linden was convicted which includes sexual assault and to balance those against factors favourable to Mr Linden advanced by Mr Moggach including that Mr Linden has no previous convictions.
“I’ve reflected on the submissions of Mr Moggach and reached the conclusion that the nature of the offences is such that the test has been met and that custody is the only appropriate disposal.”
Following the conviction, First Minister John Swinney ordered an independent review of the SNP’s processes in the wake of concerns about the handling of complaints against Linden.
DCI Diane Barr, the senior investigating officer on the case, said: “This was a protracted investigation which involved speaking with a broad range of people, many of whom regarded Linden as being in a position of trust.
“He abused this position to befriend young males who were seeking his support and the opportunity to learn from his work, however his conduct toward them was far from professional. I’d like to thank the victims who came forward to report their experiences to police. Their testimony and support ensured that we were able to bring Linden before the courts.”
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