Former Premier League referee David Coote has pleaded guilty at Nottingham Crown Court to making an indecent image of a child. The ex-official appeared before Judge Nirmal Shant KC on Tuesday in connection with an allegation relating to a category A video, which is the most serious kind, recovered by officers in February.

Coote, aged 43, was dressed in a navy suit and black tie, and spoke only to confirm his name and enter his plea during the hearing. The former referee, whose address was given as Woodhill Road in Collingham, near Newark, Nottinghamshire, was granted conditional bail by Judge Shant. He has been ordered to appear in court again on December 11 for further proceedings.

The charge of making an indecent image of a child refers to activities such as downloading, sharing, or saving abuse photos or videos. The court heard that the specific image in question was a category A video, which is considered the most severe, typically depicting young children being raped or sexually abused by adults. Coote was accused of making one such indecent video on January 2, 2020.

Judge Shant informed Coote that a pre-sentence report was being ordered before his sentencing. She stated, “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.”

This development follows a series of controversies involving Coote. He was previously sacked from his top-flight officiating duties by the English refereeing body Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) last December. This dismissal occurred after a video went viral on social media, showing him making derogatory comments about the then Liverpool manager, Jürgen Klopp.

In February, Coote was also banned by UEFA until June 30, 2026. This ban came after a separate video emerged, allegedly showing him appearing to snort a white powder through a banknote while working in Germany during last summer's European Championships.

Throughout his career, Coote has refereed a significant number of matches, including 112 in the Premier League, 143 in the Championship, and 30 in the FA Cup, alongside four international friendlies.