POLICE found a large scale cannabis factory at an isolated farmhouse after they were called to investigate the death of an elderly woman, a court heard.

The woman's grandson, Robert Daniels, in a candid interview with police, revealed he had been harvesting crops of skunk for five years – earning himself about a quarter of a million pounds from the enterprise.

Bradford Crown Court was told 36-year-old Daniels bought a £9,000 car and paid £18,000 rent up front in cash for the house from his cannabis operation.

Daniels was jailed for three years and four months after pleading guilty to producing cannabis, being concerned in the supply of the drug and money laundering.

Prosecutor, Stephanie Hancock, said that on January 22 this year, Daniels asked a neighbour for help after his grandmother, June Cox, died.

Police attended the detached property – Ryecroft Barn, in Ryecroft Road, Glusburn – where Daniels and his grandmother lived, and noticed the smell of cannabis.

They searched the property and discovered more than 180 cannabis plants, either full-sized or seedlings. There was a sophisticated cannabis factory, set up in four bedrooms, and a further large quantity of cannabis had been harvested and dried for future sale.

Daniels told police he had been growing six crops of the drug annually for more than five years, He sold to people across West Yorkshire, with regular customers, and charged £100 per ounce.

Miss Hancock said the total benefit figure from the five-year operation was more than £250,000. Daniels had paid £150,000 cash into three bank accounts. He had sought out the rural property with the intention of using it for the commercial production of cannabis.

Jailing Daniels, Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC said: "This was a sophisticated, well-planned and determined small industrial enterprise."

He said Daniels was producing significant quantities of skunk cannabis and selling it on a "truly professional basis".

The judge said it was an exceptionally serious case and the defendant's candid admissions to police were most unusual.

Judge Durham Hall added: "What became clear, following your amazing full and frank disclosures, is that you identified and rented a property in a remote area, ideal for you, which you converted into a cannabis factory. Your benefit appears to be just over £250,000, and you clearly intended to carry on."

Gerald Hendron, representing Daniels, said there was no evidence of a lavish lifestyle.

Miss Hancock told the court the defendant was under investigation into the unlawful death of his grandmother by way of gross negligence.

She added: "The Crown is considering its position in respect of that. It is in the very early investigative stage. No decisions will be made any time soon."

Miss Hancock said the defendant was also expected to be charged with possession of a small amount of indecent images from a computer recovered from the scene.