UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Former Premier League referee David Coote receives a suspended prison sentence for possessing a serious indecent image of a child.
As reported by Sophie Robinson of The Independent, ex-Premier League referee David Coote faces sentencing over a child abuse video found on his device.
How does former referee Coote face sentencing over the child abuse video?
Ex-Premier League referee David Coote was sentenced over a sexual video of a schoolboy found on his laptop, but avoided jail.
Prosecutors said the sexual video on Coote’s laptop was discovered during a separate inquiry into comments he made about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. He was sacked in December 2024 after a controversial video of his remarks emerged.
Speaking about Coote, Judge Nirmal Shant KC said,
“Those who commit this sort of offence must understand that they involve real children being abused, with all the consequent damage that comes from it.”
She stated,
“You came to the attention of police following an investigation into your conduct while being employed as a professional referee.”
Judge Shant added,
“You had been filmed making comments [about] the then Liverpool Football Club manager. The present allegations are unrelated to that but they did lead to the police coming to your home in February last year.”
She continued,
“They found a laptop and a hard drive [which had] been connected to the laptop on 2 January. At the time you told police they would find cocaine that you had for your personal use – you have been cautioned for that. Those who commit this sort of offence must realise they involve a real child and that causes them damage.”
Judge Shant said,
“If you breach this order in any way, if there are any further offences – particularly sexual offences – you will be subject to being brought back to court.”
After a Football Association investigation, authorities discovered a category A child abuse video in February last year, leading to charges against the former official.
In an October hearing, the 43-year-old referee from Collingham, Nottinghamshire, admitted the offence. The charge means he was involved in downloading, sharing, or keeping abusive photos or videos of a child.
A magistrates’ court heard in September that the video came to police attention during a Football Association investigation, and several of David Coote’s devices were seized after he was arrested at his home.
The FA gave Coote an eight-week suspension over the Klopp video. In January, he said that years of hiding his sexuality had played a part in his outburst.
UEFA later banned him until June 30, 2026, following another video showing him snorting a white substance during Euro 2024 in Germany.
What did David Coote reveal about hiding his sexuality and facing abuse as a referee?
During an interview with The Sun, David Coote said he kept his sexuality private while refereeing in the Premier League, saying,
“I’m gay and I have struggled with feeling proud of being “me” over a long period of time.”
He said,
“I have received deeply unpleasant abuse during my career as a ref and to add my sexuality to that would have been really difficult.”
The former referee said he experienced a deep sense of shame during his teenage years. During his career, he revealed that he had received death threats, including some directed at his late mother.
How many Premier League matches did David Coote officiate?
David Coote officiated his first Premier League match in April 2018, when West Bromwich Albion beat Newcastle United.
He was promoted to a full-time Select Group referee ahead of the 2018-19 season and went on to officiate over 100 Premier League matches before his dismissal.
The ex-official’s high-profile domestic appointment came in 2023 when he refereed the EFL (Carabao) Cup final between Manchester United and Newcastle United. Earlier in his career, Coote also officiated the 2014 League One play-off final at Wembley, UK.