Former Premier League referee David Coote has been handed a suspended prison sentence after admitting to making an indecent moving image of a 15-year-old boy. The 43-year-old pleaded guilty earlier to making a category A video, the most serious classification, which showed the schoolboy in uniform undressing and performing sexual acts.
At Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday, Judge Shant described Coote's actions as a 'spectacular fall from grace'. The judge imposed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, restricting Coote's contact with children and where he can live, and ordered him to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.
Prosecutor Jeremy Janes told the court that the 2-minute 11-second video was discovered on Coote's laptop after police seized his devices in February 2025. The investigation was triggered by an unrelated video in which Coote made derogatory comments about then-Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, which went viral and led to his sacking by Professional Game Match Officials Limited in December 2024.
Defence lawyer Laura Jane Miller said Coote was 'deeply ashamed' and had been struggling with personal and mental health difficulties at the time of the offence, following a relationship breakdown. She argued for a suspended sentence, stating it would allow for rehabilitation and avoid burdening the public purse.
Coote left court via a private exit, declining to comment. The judge emphasised that offences of this nature involve real children being abused, with lasting damage.
