Home / Crime and Justice / Ex-Premier League Referee Avoids Jail for Child Image Offence
Ex-Premier League Referee Avoids Jail for Child Image Offence
8 Jan
Summary
- Former referee David Coote received a suspended jail sentence for a child image offence.
- He received a 10-year sexual harm prevention order following the guilty plea.
- Coote's sentencing followed an unrelated investigation into comments about Jurgen Klopp.
Former Premier League referee David Coote received a nine-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, for making an indecent image of a child. The offense, a Category A charge, relates to a video file found on a laptop accessed on January 2, 2020. Coote pleaded guilty to the charge after initially entering a not guilty plea.
His sentencing at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday also included a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. The court heard that police came to Coote's home during a separate investigation into comments he made about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, which led to his initial suspension by the PGMOL in November 2024.
