The death of former Cambridge professor Jason Arday is a “deeply concerning and sad case” John Swinney has said – with Scotland’s First Minister adding that those who had made “hard comments” after a plagiarism row must “consider the impact of their words”.

Mr Swinney’s comment’s came after Andy Burnham described Prof Arday’s death as being a “tragedy on so many levels”.

Prof Arday had resigned from his post as the professor of sociology of education last week after allegations of plagiarism were made against him.

He was pronounced dead after emergency services were called an address in Battersea, south London, on Friday following reports that a man had been found unresponsive inside a property.

He told a friend he “couldn’t go on” hours before he died after being subjected to intense scrutiny over his academic career.

The Metropolitan Police said his death is being treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious.

Mr Swinney said he hoped Prof Arday’s family are “given the space to grieve after the loss they have suffered”.

The First Minister said: “My thoughts are with Jason Arday’s family, and everyone close to him, at this tremendously difficult time.

“This is a deeply concerning and very sad case which has raised many issues. Many commentators, who made many hard comments, must now consider the impact of their words.”

Former first minister Humza Yousaf said that “sections of the media” had “continued to hound” Prof Arday after his resignation – branding this “shameful”.

Posting on X, Mr Yousaf said: “Jason made mistakes and resigned as a result. What followed was the predictable onslaught by particular sections of the media. When he appealed for calm they continued to hound him.”

Prof Arday had become became Cambridge’s youngest black professor in 2023, but he quit following a series of media reports alleging he plagiarised his PhD thesis.

Prior to that he had worked at Glasgow University, with a spokesperson for that institution saying staff were “deeply shocked and saddened by the death of our former colleague, Professor Jason Arday”.

The spokesperson added: “Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his friends and family at this desperately sad time.”

University of Cambridge professor, and director of the Autism Research Centre, Sir Simon Baron-Cohen told the BBC he spoke to Prof Arday on Friday morning.

Sir Simon told Radio 4’s Today programme: “He was being subjected to relentless scrutiny, including ridicule, discrediting absolutely every detail of his life, and he wasn’t coping with the loss of his career, the loss of his reputation, and he felt he couldn’t go on.”

“He used those words in voice notes,” he added.

Sir Simon said Prof Arday was a “kind and gentle” man who had been “bombarded by every media outlet” and used as a “lightning rod” to examine diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies.