Former Premier League referee David Coote has been handed a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to making an indecent image of a child.
Sentencing and Fall From Grace
The 43-year-old was sentenced on Thursday at Nottingham Crown Court. In addition to the suspended sentence, the court ordered him to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.
Coote was dismissed last year by Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL). His removal followed the circulation of a video on social media in which he made derogatory remarks about former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, an incident prosecutors said led to closer scrutiny of his conduct.
Investigation and Court Hearing
Police seized Coote’s electronic devices in February 2025 as part of the investigation. The court heard that the offence related to a single Category A indecent image downloaded in January 2020.
Coote initially pleaded not guilty at his first appearance in September but changed his plea the following month. His lawyer told the court he had been struggling with mental health issues and substance abuse at the time, adding that he was “deeply ashamed” and had lost his career and reputation.
Passing sentence, Judge Nirmal Shant told Coote he had suffered a “spectacular fall from grace”, adding that some of the consequences were of his own making.
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