Police charge ‘Bad Santa’ over luxury car theft plot

A bad Santa allegedly caught on security camera stealing a luxury $150,000 sports car before Christmas did so to help two lovers commit insurance fraud, a court has heard.

A bad Santa allegedly caught on security camera stealing a luxury $150,000 sports car before Christmas did so to help two lovers commit insurance fraud, a court has heard.

Police allege Luca de Montis, clad in a Santa suit, hat and fake whitebeard, was captured on film walking into a carpark of an apartment complex in Sydney’s inner east just before midnight on December 8.

Minutes later the 54-year-old allegedly drove the lime green 2009 Mercedes C63 sedan out of the carpark of the Zetland building where Adam Freckleton and Angharad Rees live.

Police allege it was all an elaborate ploy cooked up by the married couple who arranged for de Montis to dress in the costume and thieve the car before they attempted to claim it against their insurance.

The ‘Bad Santa’ was captured on CCTV vision .

at an underground carpark in Zetland.

The trio has now been charged over the botched plan which has landed de Montis in jail.

The Hunters Hill man, who develops reality TV scripts for a living, couldn’t have written the alleged plot twist better after he was arrested on Tuesday.

De Montis represented himself when he appeared via video link at Central Local Court on Wednesday and indicated he would apply for bail on Friday.

Last Thursday investigators arrested Freckleton, 35, and his wife Rees, 32, who is accused of first reporting the car stolen.

Luca de Montis allegedly dressed up as Santa and stole a luxury car. Picture: Facebook

Police made a public appeal for assistance and investigators raided a garage in Kogarah about 4pm on Tuesday, seizing the luxury car.

De Montis is the founder of DEMLU, a reality TV concept creation company with a motto of “turning dreams into reality”, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Police believe de Montis hoped to make $63,440 out of the scheme and charged him with face disguised with intent to commit fraud, enter building with intent to commit fraud, and dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception.

The green Mercedes C63 sedan is

driven from Defries Avenue car park

Freckleton and Rees were both charged with dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception.

The pair was granted strict conditional bail and are due to front Downing Centre Local Court for the first time on February 18.

Originally published as Police charge ‘Bad Santa’ over luxury car theft plot