A burglar who stole presents from beneath a Christmas tree will spend the holidays behind bars.

Stanley Davis, 50, today pleaded guilty to a charge of entering a Southampton home and stealing $700 in cash along with several items, including Christmas presents.

Magistrates’ Court heard that on Monday morning, the complainant noticed that a money clip containing $300 in cash was missing. He spoke to his wife, who denied taking the money, and they discovered that $400 of cash had been taken from her purse.

The couple then found their dining room door had been opened at some time during the night and that, in addition to the cash, several Christmas gifts had been taken from under their tree.

They reviewed CCTV footage and identified a light-skinned man outside their home at 11.45pm the previous night. Further footage showed the same man inside their home.

The cameras also recorded the burglar taking a 7in knife from the kitchen and stashing it in his clothes while the complainants slept.

It total, the burglar took $1,287 of cash and goods.

Appearing in court, Davis admitted the offence, conceding to senior magistrate Juan Wolffe that he had relapsed into drug use.

Mr Wolffe ordered a court reports on Davis, denying him bail and ordering that he appear before Drug Treatment Court next Wednesday.

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