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Former Premier League referee David Coote sentenced over child abuse video

Published 11:14 8 Jan 2026 GMT

Updated 11:28 8 Jan 2026 GMT

Sammi Minion
Former Premier League referee David Coote sentenced over child abuse video

Homenews

BREAKING

Former Premier League referee David Coote has been sentenced to a nine-month suspended prison sentence, and given a sexual harm prevention order lasting 10 years, as reported by BBC News.

The sentence means that the 43-year-old has avoided jail time for his offence, which was handed down to him at Nottingham Crown Court.

His nine-month sentence has been suspended for a period of two years.

Reporters in attendance from the BBC and Sky News, report that the illegal content found on Coote's laptop was "Category A - the most serious kind - and showed a 15-year-old boy in school uniform."

The clip on Coote's laptop was discovered during another investigation into alleged comments he made about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

That investigation came about after a video was shared widely on social media that appeared to show the ex-referee making comments about the German head coach.

Coote worked as a Premier League official for six years, from 2018 until his dismissal in December 2024, working on 112 top-flight matches. 

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Former Premier League referee David Coote sentenced over child abuse video