A former Premier League referee could be facing jail time after pleading guilty to making indecent images of a child. 43-year-old David Coote appeared at Nottingham Crown Court today, after a category A video was allegedly found by police officers. The court heard that Coote extracted the video from a hard drive onto his laptop in early January 2020. 

In the UK, making an image refers to sharing, downloading or saving photos depicting abuse, and is divided into 3 categories - A,B, and C with Category A being the most serious offence, carrying the heaviest sentence.

Judge Shant KC heard Coote identify himself in the courtroom and make his plea before granting him conditional bail and ordering for a pre-sentence report. Coote is expected back for further hearings on 11 December. 

"You must not go away with the impression that this will not lead to a custodial sentence." said Judge Shant KC

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This new plea comes after Coote previously denied the allegations at an earlier hearing, pleading not guilty to the charge. 

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The ex-referee was handed an eight week suspension by the Football Association last November, after a video of him surfaced online where he can be heard making insulting remarks about the Liverpool team and their former manager Jurgen Klopp. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) sacked the referee in December 2024 when investigation into the incident confirmed the official violated several FA rules. 

Coote was given a sexual harm prevention order and was instructed to not contact any children by Jude Shane before the hearing was concluded. 

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