It was the night before Christmas, Sunday, December 24 around 7pm. Peter Davies, 74 had just finished his shift as a supermarket Santa. It had been a busy evening. Davies was not done yet.

Davies was walking back to his home in Sloane Ave. In the opposite direction Jane Sexton, 24 was en route to visit her boyfriend.

“I saw Father Christmas walking towards me and beamed him a great big smile. I may not be a child anymore but I still get excited when I see Santa. I never expected to see quite so much of him.

“As he got closer I noticed he was fiddling with his suit. Finally he revealed his Christmas baubles to me and shouted ‘Secret Santa!'” Sexton told the court.

Magistrate Gillian Wright noted that this was Davies first criminal offence in his lifetime.

“I’m not sure what came over you Mr Davies but this was not in the spirit of Christmas,” Judge Wright said before sentencing Davies to 200 hours community service.