Ex-referee David Coote admits child image offence
David Coote, a former Premier League referee, has pleaded guilty to the charge of a child's indecent photograph. The 43-year-old was arrested in Nottingham Crown Court on suspicion of an assault relating to a category A video, the most serious type, that was recovered by police in February. Coote, a Woodhill Road, Collingham, Nottinghamshire, was granted conditional bail ahead of his appearance on December 11th. Judge Nirmal Shant KC ordered a pre-sentence report and found that "You have pleaded guilty to a serious matter. If all of the facts is before the court, whether this means custody or not will be determined.
On January 2, 2020, Coote converted the footage from a hard drive to a notebook, according to the court.
At a hearing on September tenth at Nottingham Magistrates' Court, he had previously pleaded not guilty to the charge. Coote, a navy suit and black tie, only spoke at the six-minute hearing on Tuesday to announce his name and enter his guilty plea. The accusation of making an indecent photograph of a child refers to internet, posting, or saving pictures or videos containing abuse.
Judge Shant KC said. "Coote was fired last year after remarks made in a video about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp in 2020 surfaced. The Football Association suspended him in August this year for the Klopp video. In January, Coote came out as gay in an interview with The Sun, and said that a lifelong struggle to mask his sexuality contributed to Klopp's rant.You must not go away with the understanding that this will not lead to a custodial sentence,
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