A warehouse worker has been told to return £275,000 and sell a holiday home he bought with money obtained through stealing a staggering amount of Jack Daniel’s whiskey, totalling 123,552 bottles valued at more than £3.5 million!

James Barr, 35, worked as a warehouse operative before the company he worked for in Snetterton, Norfolk, realised the theft and brought in financial investigators. They reviewed security camera footage that showed Barr helping to transport six unauthorised shipments of 156 pallets out of the facility between July 2019 and June 2020. These pallets were loaded onto trucks, which were sneaked out through a side entrance to bypass the weighbridge, where drivers typically provide documentation.

After the thefts, Barr made multiple cash deposits totalling £206,315 into his bank accounts. The evidence showed that Barr used the stolen money to fund a lavish lifestyle that he couldn’t have otherwise afforded. His extravagant purchases included two cars, trips abroad, and a holiday home purchased for over £116,000.

At a Proceeds of Crime hearing in Norwich Crown Court on October 23, it was disclosed that Barr had benefited by more than £276,000. As a result, he was directed to repay £75,000 within three months and sell the holiday home he had acquired. He was also told that he owed an additional £200,000.