Former Premier League Referee David Coote Sentenced Over Child Abuse Video

Former Premier League referee David Coote has been handed a suspended prison sentence after admitting to possessing a child abuse video on his laptop.

David Coote, 43, from Woodhill, Collingham, Nottinghamshire, was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for two years, at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday. He was also given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.

Coote admitted making an indecent image of a child in relation to a category A video, the most serious type, showing a 15-year-old boy in a school uniform. The footage, lasting two minutes and 11 seconds, was viewed on his Dell laptop on 2 January 2020, court documents revealed.

Judge Nirmal Shant KC told Coote: “Those who commit this sort of offence must realise they involve a real child and that causes them damage.”

The offence came to light during an investigation by the Football Association. Police seized several devices from Coote’s home, and analysis revealed the illicit video. Initially pleading not guilty, Coote later admitted the charge in October last year.

Defence lawyer Laura Miller said the incident did not reflect Coote as a person and attributed his actions to an “internal struggle” following a relationship breakdown. She added: “Six years have passed, and he is trying to rebuild his life step by step.”

The court also heard that Coote had been cautioned for possession of cocaine and had faced intense media scrutiny in recent years. Judge Shant noted Coote had experienced “a spectacular fall from grace,” referring to the series of incidents that tarnished his career.

Naija News reports that Coote was dismissed by the Premier League in 2024 following controversial comments about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp made in 2020. He also received an eight-week suspension from the FA last August and remains banned by UEFA until 30 June this year after images emerged of him snorting a white powder at Euro 2024.

In January 2025, Coote publicly came out as gay, revealing a lifelong struggle to hide his sexuality, which he said contributed to his outburst regarding Klopp.

Judge Shant concluded by warning: “If you breach this order in any way, if there are any further offences, particularly sexual offences, you will be subject to being brought back to court.”