Former Premier League referee David Coote has been handed a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to making an indecent image of a child.
The court heard that police discovered a category A video, the most serious classification, on Coote’s laptop after seizing his electronic devices.
The video involved a 15-year-old boy, who was initially seen wearing a school uniform, and was found during an investigation earlier this year.
Sentencing Coote at Nottingham Crown Court, the judge described his case as a “spectacular fall from grace” and stressed that such material involves the abuse of a real child and causes lasting harm.
The 43-year-old, who was sacked by PGMOL in December 2024, did not comment as he left court. His lawyer said he was deeply ashamed of his actions.