Former Premier League referee David Coote has pleaded guilty to a highly serious charge relating to child abuse imagery, following an appearance at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday.
The 43-year-old, from Collingham, admitted to one count of creating an indecent image of a child. The offence involves a Category A video, which is classified as the most serious level under UK law. The material linked to the charge was recovered by authorities in February 2025.
Coote entered his guilty plea during a brief hearing before Judge Nirmal Shant KC. The Judge ordered a pre-sentence report to be carried out before the sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for December 11, 2025. Coote was granted conditional bail until that date.
Addressing the former referee, who stood in the dock with his hands clasped, Judge Shant emphasized the gravity of the offense: “You have pleaded guilty to a serious matter. Whether this means custody or not will be decided when all the information is before the court, which is why I have ordered a pre-sentence report.”
This plea follows an already tumultuous period in Coote’s career. He was sacked by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) in December 2024 after a video surfaced showing inappropriate comments he made about former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp back in 2020. In August of this year, he received an eight-week suspension from the Football Association over that same footage.
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