NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Former Premier League referee David Coote was given a suspended prison sentence on Thursday for having a sexual video of a minor on his laptop.
Coote previously pleaded guilty to making an indecent moving image of a child of the most serious kind, Britain's Press Association reported.
He was sentenced to nine months, which was suspended for two years, at Nottingham Crown Court.
Coote's electronic devices were seized by police last February and the video of the 15-year-old boy in school uniform from Jan. 2, 2020, was found on the hard drive of the former referee's laptop.
“You have had a spectacular fall from grace," judge Nirmal Shant told the 43-year-old Coote, whose arms and hands trembled as a sentence was handed down, PA news reported.
Coote was granted access to an area normally reserved for witnesses before leaving the court building via a private exit marked “probation liaison office." He did not speak when asked if he had any comment to make.
Coote’s barrister, Laura Jane Miller, said he was “deeply ashamed of himself and his actions."
“For the last six years, Mr Coote has faced intensive media scrutiny," she told the court. “He has shown remorse for this offending to the probation service."
The video was found after a separate investigation into remarks Coote made about former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp in 2020.
Coote was banned for eight weeks and ordered to take a face-to-face education program for making offensive comments about Klopp in a private video that ended up being widely circulated on social media, leading to the match official getting fired.
Coote was initially suspended for his conduct and then sacked because his position was deemed “untenable” by English soccer’s referees body following an investigation into his conduct.
Coote was also investigated by the Football Association following allegations in British newspaper The Sun that he discussed with a fan the possibility of giving a yellow card to a player in a match. Coote denied any wrongdoing and the FA said in June that no charges were issued in relation to that investigation.
Separately, UEFA launched an investigation into Coote following a video, again published by The Sun, allegedly showing him using cocaine during the European Championship in 2024.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - Referee David Coote reacts during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton and Brentford, at White Hart Lane Stadium in London, England, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland, File)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Federal immigration officers shot and wounded two people outside a hospital in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday, a day after an officer shot and killed a driver in Minnesota, authorities said.
The FBI’s Portland office said it was investigating an “agent involved shooting” that happened around 2:15 p.m. According to the the Portland Police bureau, officers initially responded to a report of a shooting near a hospital.
A few minutes later, police received information that a man who had been shot was asking for help in a different area a couple of miles away. Officers then responded there and found the two people with apparent gunshot wounds. Officers determined they were injured in the shooting with federal agents, police said.
Their conditions were not immediately known. Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney said during a Portland city council meeting that Thursday’s shooting took place in the eastern part of the city and that two Portlanders were wounded.
“As far as we know both of these individuals are still alive and we are hoping for more positive updates throughout the afternoon,” she said.
The shooting comes a day after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a woman in Minnesota. It escalated tensions in an city that has long had a contentious relationship with President Donald Trump, including Trump's recent, failed effort to deploy National Guard troops in the city.
Portland police secured both the scene of the shooting and the area where the wounded people were found pending investigation.
“We are still in the early stages of this incident,” said Chief Bob Day. “We understand the heightened emotion and tension many are feeling in the wake of the shooting in Minneapolis, but I am asking the community to remain calm as we work to learn more.”
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and the city council called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to end all operations in Oregon’s largest city until a full investigation is completed.
“We stand united as elected officials in saying that we cannot sit by while constitutional protections erode and bloodshed mounts,” a joint statement said. “Portland is not a ‘training ground’ for militarized agents, and the ‘full force’ threatened by the administration has deadly consequences.”
The city officials said “federal militarization undermines effective, community‑based public safety, and it runs counter to the values that define our region. We’ll use every legal and legislative tool available to protect our residents’ civil and human rights.”
They urged residents to show up with “calm and purpose during this difficult time.”
“We respond with clarity, unity, and a commitment to justice,” the statement said. “We must stand together to protect Portland.”
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, urged any protesters to remain peaceful.
“Trump wants to generate riots,” he said in a post on the X social media platform. “Don’t take the bait.”
Law enforcement officials work the scene following reports that federal immigration officers shot and wounded people in Portland, Ore., Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Law enforcement officials work the scene following reports that federal immigration officers shot and wounded people in Portland, Ore., Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
FILE - The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seal during a news conference June 28, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
