Man Kicked Defenceless Santa in the Head on Busy Falmouth Street

A man has been sentenced after kicking an unconscious victim in the head during disorder on a busy Falmouth street in the run-up to Christmas, in an attack that was captured on CCTV and later spread widely on social media.

Abdulmutalip Kaya, 25, of Trelowen Drive in Penryn, appeared at Truro Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 14th April after pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He received a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years, and must complete 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £2,500 compensation to his victim.

What Happened on Killigrew Street

The incident took place on 17th December 2024 on Killigrew Street, Falmouth, which was busy with festive revellers at the time. Footage of the attack spread rapidly on social media, partly because the victim happened to be dressed as Santa Claus.

Council CCTV captured the full sequence of events, showing disorder breaking out between two groups, one of which included staff from nearby takeaways. The footage showed the victim holding Abdulmutalip in a bear hug while Abdulmutalip was being assaulted by others. The victim was then knocked unconscious by another person and fell to the floor.

At that point, Abdulmutalip punched the defenceless victim twice, before returning to kick him in the head while he was semi-conscious. The victim slumped to the ground, and Abdulmutalip kicked him in the head a second time.

Police Investigation

Devon and Cornwall Police were not alerted at the time of the incident. It was only when the social media video began circulating two days later that officers became aware of what had happened. A media appeal was published, and the victim was identified on 22nd December 2024.

As a result of the assault, the victim suffered a cut to the head and abrasions to the face and mouth. He attended hospital several days later due to loss of consciousness and feelings of nausea, and underwent a CT scan.

In interview, Abdulmutalip admitted the assault but claimed it had been carried out in self-defence following a racial attack.

Police Response

Sergeant Chris Vincent said: “This was an unusual incident in that it wasn’t reported to Police at the time. We became aware due to the social media video and were able from it to identify the victim and suspect.

“This was a particularly distressing attack because the victim lay completely defenceless when he was kicked to the head. It was a matter of luck that he was not more seriously injured or even killed.

“These were chaotic scenes as many people enjoyed a festive night out. Such violence will not be tolerated and I would like to thank members of the community for their support during this investigation.”

Abdulmutalip, described in court as a Turkish national, was not jailed but will be subject to the suspended sentence conditions for two years.