Guard accused of drinking 50 bottles of whiskey he was meant to protect

A caretaker employed to safeguard $100,000 worth of whisky allegedly decided to drink it all instead.

John Saunders - who was hired to protect the 100-year-old liquor - is being prosecuted after he purportedly guzzled down more than 50 bottles of the expensive booze over a 12-month period.

The 62 year old denies drinking the alcohol and believes the "whisky probably evaporated and being that old, it was probably no good."

Police chief Barry Pritts said: "There were four cases, 52 bottles, manufactured by an old distillery here in the Township that went out of business many years ago.

"The family that owned the estate, somebody hid it under a flight of stairs and enclosed the staircase, and the estate went through several families.

"The lady that owns it now was doing a remodelling project and the people who were doing the work found them."