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

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.

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

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 last year, Coote was given an eight-week suspension by the Football Association over the Klopp footage.

More to follow…