Overview
- Jordan Linden was sentenced on Wednesday to 18 months at Falkirk Sheriff Court and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
- A jury in March convicted the 30-year-old of 10 offences, including five sexual assaults, for conduct between 2011 and 2021 targeting teenagers and young men, with one victim aged 14.
- Sheriff Christopher Shead said custody was the only appropriate outcome after weighing defence arguments about Linden’s 2021 autism diagnosis and lack of previous convictions.
- First Minister John Swinney ordered an independent review of SNP complaints procedures after the conviction and later urged Linden to apologise to victims.
- Opposition figures, including Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, accuse the SNP of failing to act on repeated warnings and protecting a rising party figure despite concerns.