A former manager accused of stealing £93,000 in cash from the pub where he worked and spending it on holidays and other luxury items says they were paid for by his grandad.

Liam Sanders, 32, forked out thousands of pounds on lavish holidays to Iceland, Mexico and Amsterdam between 2017 and 2018, as well as an engagement ring – but insists the money came from the family member.

Sanders, of Port Rise, Chatham, is on trial at the Nightingale Court at Mercure Great Danes Hotel in Maidstone charged with fraud after allegedly pocketing the huge amount of cash by failing to bank a day's worth of takings when he was general manager at The Clipper pub in High Street, Dartford. He denies the accusations.

It’s alleged Sanders would fail to deposit the money the boozer would bring in on Friday or Saturday – the businesses busiest day – and keep it for himself.

An investigation was launched after he was confronted by directors from MFA Properties, which owns the Dartford pub and bowling alleys around the south east, after discrepancies were uncovered for the first four weeks of January in 2019.

On Monday, the court heard how Sanders admitted to stealing £9,700 in cash over the four-week period, but said it was to help a family member who was in financial difficulty.

He paid back the full amount – £7,000 in cash the following day and the £2,700 by bank transfer after selling his car and getting a loan – within two weeks.

On the second day of the hearing prosecutor Mark Hunsley explained how when police searched Sanders' flat they discovered multiple holiday bookings through TUI and Thomas Cook and a jewellery receipt for an engagement ring.

Included in the bookings were two trips in 2017, to Cancun in Mexico and Reykjavik in Iceland, as well as an all-inclusive holiday at the Riu Vallarta in Mexico in May 2018 which cost between £3,000 to £4,000.

The court heard how the majority of these holidays were paid for in cash, with a select few payments made by credit card.

Mr Hunsley read a transcript from three police interviews with Sanders after his home was searched last year.

The court heard how Sanders, who was earning £23,000 when he started working for the pub which later rose to £30,000 a year, was questioned about how he was able to pay for multiple holidays by cash within the space of a few months.

He claimed two of the holidays, an engagement ring, and deposit for a new flat he moved into, were paid for by his grandfather who would often give him money and urged him to live his life.

Sanders claimed there should be documentation from Natwest which shows the money was sent by his grandfather, who died in August 2018 after the multiple holidays were booked. The Chatham man, who was his grandfather’s only grandchild, confirmed he was not left any inheritance money.

Further evidence from the interviews outlined how police questioned Sanders about a concerning pattern of money not being taken to the bank.

They asked why in the week’s before and after his holidays there were consistent days when money went missing, however, when he was on holiday and the responsibility fell to the next in command, usually a supervisor, there was no money missing.

Sanders said he understood why it looked suspicious, but he couldn’t explain it.

Defence barrister John Lyons questioned the police’s fraud investigator Oscar Riba Domingo about banking slips which were sent to MFA Properties.

The crown’s case is that on regular occasions only six out of seven days' banking slips were taken to the bank and cashed into the business’ account by Sanders.

However, Mr Lyons questioned whether any investigation was done into whether Sanders was at the pub on days money went missing and he wasn’t at any of the other MFA Properties. It was explained he also worked at bowling centres in Whitstable, Chatham, Lewisham, Weymouth and Southend.

He also questioned whether or not any investigation was done into the handwriting of signatures on banking slips, pointing out that on many of the slips where Sanders had allegedly signed the handwriting, style of signature and writing of numbers, such as a number seven, was different.

Mr Domingo confirmed this wasn’t looked into.

Mr Lyons is set to outline Sanders’ defence today.

The trial continues.