A former Premier League referee has avoided immediate jail time after being sentenced for making an indecent image of a child. David Coote, 43, was handed a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday, 8 January 2026.
The Offence and Investigation
The case centred on a category A video of a 15-year-old schoolboy, the most serious classification, which was discovered on Coote's laptop. Police recovered the video in February 2025 after the Football Association (FA) launched an investigation into the official. Officers seized and analysed a number of devices following his arrest at his home in Collingham, Nottinghamshire.
Coote, of Woodhill Road, Collingham, near Newark, had previously pleaded guilty to the charge in October. The offence of making an indecent image relates to actions such as downloading, saving, or sharing abusive material.
A 'Spectacular Fall from Grace' in Court
Sentencing Coote, Judge Shant told him he had experienced a "spectacular fall from grace." In mitigation, his barrister Laura Jane Miller urged the court to suspend any custodial sentence. She detailed a history of mental health struggles following a relationship breakdown in 2017, which was masked by his successful public persona as a top football referee.
Miss Miller stated that Coote's cocaine use began around 2019 and that he had lost his career and reputation amid intense press scrutiny. She told the court: "He has shown remorse for this offending, he is ashamed of himself and his actions, and he has not taken any cocaine since his arrest in February, 2025." Coote now works in an administrative role and is trying to rebuild his life.
Career Downfall and Previous Controversies
The court case marks the latest chapter in a dramatic professional and personal downfall for Coote. He was sacked by Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) in December 2024 after a separate video emerged of him making derogatory comments about former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp. He received an eight-week suspension from the FA over that footage in August 2025.
In January 2025, Coote came out as gay in an interview with The Sun, stating that a lifelong struggle with his sexuality contributed to the Klopp rant. Furthermore, European football's governing body, UEFA, banned him until 30 June 2026 after another video showed him snorting a white powder through a bank note while in Germany for Euro 2024.
The suspended sentence means Coote will not go to prison unless he commits another offence within the two-year suspension period. His barrister concluded to the court: "He is not someone who will find themselves back before the courts again. He's deeply ashamed of himself and his actions."
