A drug dealer who booby-trapped his home with improvised explosive devices and weapons after drawing inspiration from the Christmas film Home Alone has been jailed for seven years.
Ian Claughton, 60, rigged his property in Grimethorpe, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom, with tripwires, homemade pipe bombs and other devices in an attempt to protect his drug operation from intruders.
More than 100 homes were evacuated in May 2024 as police searched properties linked to Claughton and his ex-wife. Officers described the houses as “heavily protected” and found a range of traps and weapons inside.
At Sheffield Crown Court, Judge Graham Reeds sentenced Claughton to seven years in prison. His ex-wife, Lesley Claughton, 59, received a 21-month prison sentence suspended for two years.
Opening the case to jurors last October, prosecutor Helen Chapman said: “If you are sitting there thinking that this sounds a little like the film Home Alone, then you would be correct. “In fact, that is precisely what Ian Claughton said he was aiming for when he told the police about these devices.”
Police discovered a fishing wire stretched across a room at knee height, connected to an electrical device and battery pack. Claughton claimed the explosives were agricultural crow-scarers placed inside plastic piping and, in one instance, concealed within a bag of paint.
Other items found included banger fireworks sealed inside piping with wires and springs attached, a stun gun hidden behind a fridge-freezer and a homemade flamethrower in a workshop. Officers also recovered two high-powered air guns, a crossbow and £27,000 in cash sewn into a sofa.
Cannabis plants were found growing in two properties, including in tents set up inside hidden rooms. Large quantities of amphetamines were also seized.
Claughton came to the attention of authorities after a package containing imitation firearms ordered from China was intercepted at Heathrow Airport. The parcel, addressed using his ex-wife’s eBay account, contained five folding five-shot revolvers.
Claughton pleaded guilty to bringing a realistic imitation firearm into the country, being concerned in the production of cannabis and two counts of possession with intent to supply class B drugs.
He was also convicted after trial at Doncaster Crown Court of three counts of possessing prohibited firearms, possession of criminal property and possession of explosive substances.
Lesley Claughton was found guilty of importing a realistic imitation firearm, possessing class B drugs with intent to supply, possession of criminal property and being concerned in the production of cannabis.
Police said the case highlighted the dangers posed not only by organised drug activity but also by improvised explosive devices within residential communities.
