The men were hired online by Australian man Kevin Costello to break into his home, tie him up in his underwear and touch him with a broom.

However, Mr Costello moved to another street midway through planning the “unscripted” fantasy and the confused men wound up at John McGregor’s house instead.

When the armed men woke up a bewildered Mr McGregor and realised their mistake, they apologised and left.

A court in New South Wales has now acquitted one of the men, Terrence Leroy, of entering a home armed with a weapon.

Lawyers for Mr Leroy submitted that there was “a commercial agreement to tie up and stroke a semi-naked man in his underpants with a broom” and entry “was not with intent to intimidate”.

Handing down his ruling, the judge said he had entered Mr McGregor’s house “pursuant to a lawful plan to carry out a sexual fantasy”.

He noted: “Kevin Costello enjoys sexual fantasies; John McGregor does not.”