A man blew up a bungalow and caused an estimated £75,000 worth of damage after the cannabis oil batch he was making exploded.
Christopher Titterington was undertaking the highly dangerous extraction process of making his own cannabis oil at a rented address in Rosedale Terrace, Horden, when it exploded. The explosion, which happened on July 2, 2020, caused serious burns to the upper part of the 28-year-old's body and thousands of pounds worth of damage to the property.
Titterington, of West Street, Blackhall Colliery, appeared at Durham Crown Court on Friday to be sentenced for arson and being concerned in the production of cannabis. He had pleaded guilty to the charges at a previous hearing.
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Paul Rooney, prosecuting, said the property where Titterington was making the oil was a bungalow that was being rented out for six months. He said: "The defendant used the bungalow until the tenancy ran out, without the permission of the landlord. In July, he was at the address making cannabis oil."
The court was told that the process of making cannabis oil involves the use of butane gas, and that a pan of oil was being heated up, creating what is known as "dabs" or "honey oil". Mr Rooney said: "As he did it, it exploded, and he suffered significant burns to the upper part of his body and he remained in an intensive care unit for several weeks."
Mr Rooney said that a fire investigation report noted that the explosion was so powerful the kitchen windows were "blown out" during the extraction process. He said that during the process, the property was a "butane rich environment" and that 48 butane cylinders were inside the home.
He added it was an "industrial process in a domestic setting without any training" and that Titterington "took the risk to produce the oil the way he did". Mr Rooney said: "The estimated cost to repair the property amounts to £75,000."
Titterington, who has five previous convictions for seven offences, including a conviction for possession of cannabis, will be sentenced next week after Judge James Adkin asked for a pre-sentence report to be put together. The court was told Titterington's life had been "devastated" by the incident and that there was "significant personal mitigation".
Judge James Adkin told him: "I've not made my final decision as I need more information about you. I want to see what the alternatives are to prison." Titterington will return to the court for sentence on Wednesday, August 24.
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