David Coote: Former Premier League referee given nine-month suspended prison sentence after admitting child image offence

David Coote has been sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to making an indecent image of a child.

The court heard that police seized the disgraced former Premier League referee's electronic devices and an explicit two-minute video of a 15-year-old boy, initially in a school uniform, from January 2 2020, was found on his laptop.

Coote was charged in October with an allegation relating to a category A video, the most serious kind, recovered by police in February.

The 43-year-old appeared for his sentencing hearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday where prosecutors said a clip was found after a separate probe into comments he made about ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp in 2020.

The court heard the former referee answered no comment to relevant questions in a police interview in February 2025, and was cautioned after officers found cocaine in his house in the same month.

Sparing Coote an immediate prison sentence, Judge Nirmal Shant KC told the former referee: "You have had a spectacular fall from grace."

She told him videos such as the one Coote had downloaded "involve a real child being abused", adding that those viewing similar material should bear in mind the "consequent damage that follows from it".

Speaking about his state of mind, Judge Shant told him: "You were a lonely man. You had a relationship that had broken down recently.

"You had mental health difficulties and you were consuming cocaine, which of course was your choice, but it had a direct effect on your thinking."

Coote was granted access to an area normally reserved for witnesses before leaving the court building via a private exit marked "probation liaison office".

He did not speak when asked if he had any comment to make. Coote's barrister Laura Jane Miller said he was "deeply ashamed of himself".

She told the court: "For the last six years, Mr Coote has faced intensive media scrutiny.

"He has shown remorse for this offending to the probation service.

"He said he's deeply ashamed of himself and his actions."

Prosecutor Jeremy Janes said the offence of making a category A image can lead to a maximum sentence of three years in prison.

The charge of making an indecent image of a child refers to activities such as downloading, sharing or saving photos or videos.

Coote was sacked by Professional Game Match Officials Limited in December 2024 after a video of comments he made about Klopp came to light.

In August 2025, Coote was given an eight-week suspension by the Football Association over the Klopp footage.

In January last year, Coote came out as gay in an interview with The Sun and said a lifelong struggle to hide his sexuality had contributed to his comments about Klopp.