A BUSINESSMAN whose MOT garage in the Cotswolds was turned into a lucrative cannabis factory has been found guilty of being involved.

A jury decided after almost a day of deliberation that Trevor Robins, 45, of Hatherop Road, Fairford, was guilty of cannabis production.

He was tried this week at Gloucester Crown Court, sitting at Cirencester, where the jury was told the cannabis found at his Lechlade garage would have been worth £27,000 at street prices.

Robins pleaded not guilty to being involved with Stephen Chesterman, 33, of Swindon, in the production of cannabis at his business premises - Cartersfield MoT Centre in Lechlade.

He also denied allowing the premises to be used for the production of cannabis but was convicted of both offences. He admitted a further charge of stealing electricity.

Police found Chesterman at the premises in possession of a number of keys, one of which opened the door to the warehouse, which contained the cannabis plants being grown in buckets.

"When Mr Robins was interviewed as the owner of the building, he said he was paid cash in hand for the rental and had been given a false name," Miss Cowe said.

"But police also found two electricity meters in a cupboard, and both had been pinned to stop recording the electricity used.

"One was found to supply the garage and the other supplied the cannabis factory."

She added that when Mr Robins was asked who he had rented the warehouse to, he did not want to give a name.

"When he was told Stephen Chesterman had been arrested, he told officers that was who had paid him for the warehouse," Miss Cowe said.

"But in a later interview, he said this was a lie and he suggested this information had come from the police themselves."

Judge Michael Roach told the jury that if they decided Mr Robins had supplied electricity to the factory, that was part of production.

Judge Roach adjourned the case for sentence at Bristol Crown Court on February 26 and Robins' bail was extended until then.