David Coote, a former Premier League referee, admitted making an indecent image of a child. He accepted his plea in a court hearing before Judge Nirmal Shant KC. The 43-year-old, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges, walked into the courtroom wearing a tailored dark navy suit and black tie. During his six-minute arraignment, Gorman only had to confirm his name and enter his plea.
The offence Coote has been charged with involves a category A video, which is the highest, most serious type of indecent image. Police were able to recover the video in February, prompting the investigation and charges. In August, Coote was handed an eight-week suspension by the Football Association as a result of the ongoing criminal proceedings against him.
Judge Shant granted Coote’s conditional bail following her not guilty plea. He is required to return to court on December 11 for sentencing. A pre-sentence report will now be produced before the court decides what punishment should be handed out for Coote’s behaviour.
In December 2022, Coote was subjected to immediate dismissal by Professional Game Match Officials Limited. This decision came primarily due to the racist comments that he directed toward now Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp back in 2020. Even before these latest, more serious charges, this was not the first time this incident had brought national attention to his career.
“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,” stated Judge Nirmal Shant KC during the hearing.
Coote resides in Collingham and now faces the possibility of significant legal repercussions as he awaits further proceedings in December.
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