A HOME owner who claimed he had ‘no idea’ his house had become a ‘cannabis factory’ manufacturing thousands of pounds worth of drugs has been cleared of all charges.

Christopher Dunbabin, 34, was cleared mid-way through his trial at Oxford Crown Court on Tuesday of two counts of producing and possessing the cannabis at his home address between January and March 2016.

During the trial the court had heard how the last time he had visited his home on a quiet residential estate at Montgomery Road, Bicester, was for a Christmas party on December 20 2015.

Just three months later on March 30 2016 police raided the house and discovered a vast operation including 78 cannabis plants and more than 4kg of herbal cannabis. Prosecutor during the trial, Sarah Porter, called the house a 'cannabis factory.'

Another man, Richard Cork, who was found at the house at the raid shortly after 11am had already admitted his role in the manufacture and supply of the drugs.

On Tuesday the jury of 11 women and one man were told by his defence team how Mr Dunbabin had in fact been abroad on a ‘boys skiing’ holiday in France as well as on holiday in Thailand. He had been completely oblivious to his house being transformed into the drugs den with a total haul of drugs carrying a street value of about £53,000 discovered by police.

He had even made attempts to put the modern house up for sale, and after the raid had busted the operation.

Late on Tuesday at the court Recorder Patrick Hamlin accepted a submission of no case to answer and Mr Dunbabin was acquitted.