David Coote avoids prison for making indecent image of a child | OneFootball

David Coote, the former Premier League referee, has avoided jail after receiving a suspended sentence for making an indecent image of a child. The 43-year-old from Newark was dealt with at Nottingham Crown Court after a guilty plea in October. A custodial term had not been ruled out for the Category A offence.

According to NY Times, he received a nine-month sentence, suspended for two years, and must complete 150 hours of unpaid work. Judge Nirmal Shant KC described his downfall as a spectacular fall from grace.

Police found an indecent video featuring a 15-year-old on a hard drive at his home, categorised as Category A and last accessed in January 2020. Earlier hearings were told an independent check of two phones revealed two concerning conversations on a messaging platform.

Charged last August, Coote first pleaded not guilty at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on 10 September and opted for a jury trial, before changing his plea to guilty at Nottingham Crown Court on 14 October. Sentencing, initially listed for last month, was adjourned to Thursday.

He was suspended by PGMOL in November 2024 after a social media video emerged in which he used offensive language about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. Later that month The Sun published footage that appeared to show him snorting white powder in a hotel room, said to have been filmed on 6 July, the day after he served as assistant VAR for the Euro 2024 quarter-final between France and Portugal in Hamburg.

UEFA later banned him from its competitions for 16 months last February for bringing the sport and UEFA into disrepute. The FA imposed an eight-week suspension in August over his remarks about Klopp, and PGMOL terminated his contract in December 2024, saying his actions breached its terms and his position was untenable while pledging welfare support.

Source: NY Times