FORMER Premier League referee David Coote has pleaded not guilty to making an indecent image of a child during a court hearing.
The 43-year-old appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court to face charges relating to a video recovered by police in February.
Coote wore a navy suit and sat at the back of the court, speaking only to confirm his personal details and enter his plea.
The charge of making an indecent image of a child can include activities such as downloading, sharing, or saving abusive photos or videos.
District Judge Gillian Young granted Coote conditional bail and ordered him to appear at Nottingham Crown Court on October 9.
The former referee was dismissed from his officiating role in December after a video surfaced showing him making derogatory remarks about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
UEFA also banned him from officiating until June 2026 after another video emerged of him snorting a white powder through a bank note in Germany.
Coote came out as gay in a January interview and stated that his struggle to hide his sexuality had contributed to making bad choices. – AFP