A real-life Grinch has been jailed after stealing presents from under a Christmas tree.
Colin Pearson and William Trotter, who was jailed earlier this year, carried out the raid two days before Santa was due - and one even put the presents under their own tree.
After he was jailed on Tuesday, police in Sunderland said Pearson, 39, is now on "Santa’s naughty list for years to come".
Pearson and Trotter broke into a hair salon which had collected gifts to give out to staff and customers on December 23 last year.
Among the haul of gifts stolen in Sunderland were bottles of prosecco, make-up and other beauty products.
CCTV footage shows the criminals ransacking the Estrella salon and stealing the presents from under the tree.
Workers realised what had happened when they came into work on Christmas Eve and alerted the police.
Pearson has been described as a “prolific thief” and was jailed for 16 months on Tuesday at Newcastle Crown Court.
As well as the Christmas crime, he admitted eight other offences related to thieving.
Trotter, 38, of Sunderland, admitted the Estrella burglary and a string of other offences, including a charge of common assault. He was jailed for four years and a month earlier this year.
When police went to Pearson’s home in Sunderland they found some of the stolen presents under the thief’s own tree.
Detective Sergeant Steve Wallace of Northumbria Police said: “Pearson is a prolific thief who has heaped misery on families and businesses across the city.
“Christmas should be a time for kindness and good-will, but instead Pearson preyed on people’s generosity by stealing thoughtful gifts that had been bought to reward hard-working employees and customers.
“His behaviour undermines the fabric of our society, and it is important that the public recognise that those who show no consideration for others – as well as a total disregard for the law – will be dealt with robustly.
“He will now be on Santa’s naughty list for years to come, and must deal with the consequences of his actions.”
