Judge speaks of “lonely man”
Ex-referee convicted of child pornography
January 8, 2026 – 3:09 p.mReading time: 1 min.
David Coote received a nine-month suspended prison sentence for making a child pornography video. The investigation uncovered further explosive details.
Former Premier League referee David Coote has been given a nine-month suspended prison sentence. Coote had pleaded guilty to making a child pornography video which was discovered on his laptop during an investigation.
Prosecutors found the video during an investigation initially launched into Coote’s derogatory comments about Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool’s former team manager. Passing sentence, Judge Nirmal Shant said Coote had experienced a “spectacular fall from grace”. She described him as a “lonely man” and referred to his mental health problems and cocaine use.
Coote had already been relieved of his duties as a referee in December 2024. UEFA banned him until June this year after a video emerged showing him snorting a white powder during the European Championships in Germany. Coote’s electronic devices were confiscated in February last year.