Former Premier League referee David Coote has pleaded not guilty to making an indecent Category A video of a child and will stand trial at Crown Court.
Disgraced former Premier League referee David Coote has pleaded not guilty to making an indecent video of a child.
The 43-year-old, who was dismissed by referees’ body PGMOL last year, appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Thursday. He is accused of making one Category A video of a child on January 2, 2020. Category A is the most serious level of indecent material, covering acts such as downloading, saving, and sharing videos.
Prosecutor Ben Payne said the video was found on a PGMOL-issued laptop seized during a police investigation that began after an FA inquiry into Coote. He told the court: “Two conversations that were of concern appeared to indicate Mr Coote had a sexual interest in children.”
Coote, wearing a blue suit and black tie, confirmed his details before entering a not guilty plea. He requested the case be heard before a jury at Crown Court rather than in the Magistrates’ Court.
District Judge Gillian Young rejected his defence’s bid to withhold his address from publication, saying she was “not persuaded there is a risk of death or serious harm.”
A pre-trial hearing has been scheduled for October 9 at Nottingham Crown Court.
Coote remains on conditional bail.