Former Premier League referee David Coote has been handed a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after admitting to making a Category A indecent image of a child.
The Court Hearing and Police Investigation
The 43-year-old was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Wednesday, 8 January 2026. He had pleaded guilty to the charge, which followed an investigation by Nottinghamshire Police. The offence occurred on 12 August 2025.
The illicit material was discovered during a forensic examination of Coote's electronic devices. Prosecutors told the court that the seized video, lasting two minutes and 11 seconds, depicted a 15-year-old boy in school uniform. Category A represents the most severe level of indecent imagery.
Following his arrest, Coote was interviewed by police but provided a "no comment" response. He had initially entered a not guilty plea at Nottingham Magistrates' Court in September 2025.
A Cascade of Professional Scandals
The court heard that Coote's "sexual attraction" to children was uncovered during a separate Football Association (FA) inquiry. This professional downfall began in December 2024, when he was dismissed by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).
His sacking resulted from a viral, unverified video from 2020, in which he made derogatory comments about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. During the FA probe, Coote claimed the video was filmed in his living room with a friend and later apologised to Klopp, stating the words did not reflect his true feelings.
PGMOL stated his dismissal was due to a "serious breach" of his employment contract, rendering his position "untenable". Earlier in 2024, UEFA had suspended Coote from all European officiating duties until 30 June 2026 over a separate video allegedly showing him using a white powder through a banknote at Euro 2024.
Personal Struggles and Sentencing Outcome
In January 2025, Coote publicly came out as gay. He later linked his personal struggles to his behaviour, stating that hiding his sexuality had a profound impact. "I hid my emotions as a young ref and I hid my sexuality as well - a good quality as a referee but a terrible quality as a human being. And that's led me to a whole course of behaviours," he said.
The final sentence imposed was nine months' imprisonment, suspended for two years. This means Coote will not serve immediate jail time unless he commits another offence within the suspension period.
