Former Premier League referee sentenced in child image case

January 8, 2026 Oliver Obel

David Coote, once a regular official in English football’s top division, has been given a suspended prison sentence after admitting to a serious criminal offence.

According to court proceedings at Nottingham Crown Court, the 43-year-old former referee received a nine-month jail term, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to making an indecent image of a child.

The court also imposed a sexual harm prevention order lasting 10 years and ordered Coote to complete 150 hours of unpaid community work.

Police investigation and evidence

Prosecutors told the court that police recovered a category A video the most serious classification for such material from a laptop seized during a search of Coote’s home in February 2025. The video involved a 15-year-old boy.

Officers also seized a Toshiba external hard drive, which they said had previously been connected to the laptop.

Passing sentence, Judge Nirmal Shant addressed Coote directly.

“David Coote, you have had a spectacular fall from grace,” the judge said.

The court heard that police initially attended Coote’s address following inquiries linked to his conduct while working as a professional referee. Judge Shant stressed that those earlier matters were unrelated to the criminal offence but explained they led officers to the devices containing the illegal material.

The judge also noted that Coote had told police they would find cocaine for personal use at the property, for which he was later cautioned.

“If you breach this order in any way, if there are any further offences particularly sexual offences you will be brought back to court,” Judge Shant warned.

Career fallout

Coote officiated in the Premier League between 2018 and 2024 before his career ended amid a series of disciplinary actions.

The Football Association suspended him for eight weeks after finding an aggravated breach of rule E3.2, relating to comments referencing former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp’s nationality in a video circulated on social media.

The Premier League later dismissed Coote in December 2024 for what it described as a serious breach of his employment contract.

In November 2024, The Sun reported that photographs appeared to show Coote sniffing white powder during Euro 2024, when he was working as a UEFA official. UEFA subsequently banned him from its competitions, stating that he had “violated the basic rules of decent conduct” and brought the sport into disrepute.

Sources: Court proceedings; Football Association statements; Premier League statements; UEFA statements; The Sun

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