Former Premier League referee David Coote has been handed a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to making an indecent moving image of a 15-year-old boy. The 43-year-old was found to have a category A video, the most serious classification, on his laptop.
Judge Shant described Coote's actions as a “spectacular fall from grace” and imposed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, restricting his contact with children and where he can live. Coote was also ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.
Prosecutors said the two-minute, 11-second video showed the schoolboy undressing and performing sexual acts. The video was extracted from a hard drive to Coote's laptop on 2 January 2020, discovered after police seized his devices in February 2025.
Coote was sacked by Professional Game Match Officials Limited in December 2024 after an unrelated video emerged in which he made derogatory comments about then-Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp. Prosecuting barrister Jeremy Janes said the Klopp video “went viral and put him into the spotlight,” leading to a wider investigation by tabloid newspapers.
Defence lawyer Laura Jane Miller said Coote was dealing with personal and mental health difficulties at the time of the offence and was “deeply ashamed by his actions.” She argued for a suspended sentence to avoid him being a “burden on the public purse.” Coote left Nottingham Crown Court via a private exit and declined to comment.
