Former SNP council leader Jordan Linden is appealing against both his conviction and the 18-month prison sentence imposed on him for a series of sex offences against young men and teenagers, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) has confirmed.
Conviction Details
Linden, 30, was convicted at Falkirk Sheriff Court in March this year of ten separate offences committed over a decade-long period from 2011 to 2021. The charges included five sexual assaults, three counts of engaging in a course of conduct causing fear or alarm, and offences involving sexual communication.
Victims were all boys or young men, with the youngest aged just 14. One of the offences involved Linden sexually assaulting two victims at a house party in Dundee that followed a Pride march in 2019. He was also convicted of sending explicit images – including a photograph of himself in a bath and images of his genitalia – to a 14-year-old.
The offences took place at various locations in North Lanarkshire and elsewhere. During the trial, the court heard that some witnesses had told the trial their complaints were downplayed or ignored by adults within the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) and the SNP. Linden chaired the SYP between 2015 and 2016.
The SYP later stated that it had commissioned external investigations into how it handled allegations against Linden in 2016, which found no evidence of criminality at the time. The organisation said it referred fresh allegations to Police Scotland in November 2017, an investigation that again concluded no criminality had been established. Following further allegations in 2022, the SYP said it fully supported the police and Crown Office investigation that ultimately led to Linden’s conviction.
Linden denied all charges. His defence lawyer, David Moggach KC, told the court that Linden had been diagnosed with autism in 2021 and suggested this might explain a lack of awareness of social boundaries. Moggach also noted there had been no offending since 2021. However, Sheriff Christopher Shead ruled that custody was the only appropriate disposal given the nature of the offences.
Linden was sentenced on 6 May 2026, a day later than originally scheduled because of the unavailability of his defence counsel. Alongside the 18-month prison term, he was placed on the sex offenders register for ten years. The SCTS confirmed on Tuesday that an intimation of intention to appeal against both conviction and sentence had been lodged on his behalf, initiating the appeal process at the Appeal Court in Edinburgh.
Linden has refused to make any public apology to his victims.
Resignation
Linden resigned as leader of North Lanarkshire Council in July 2022 after reports of alleged sexual harassment emerged. His resignation triggered the collapse of the SNP administration in the area. He left the SNP in 2024.
