A 60-year-old drug dealer has been sentenced to seven years in prison after rigging properties with booby traps inspired by the film Home Alone. Ian Claughton, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, set up devices including modified crow scarers, stun guns and a homemade flame-thrower to deter intruders at three houses in Grimethorpe.
Claughton was convicted of drugs and firearms offences following a trial at Doncaster Crown Court. His ex-wife, Lesley Claughton, received a 21-month suspended sentence. The pair were involved in the cannabis trade, growing and supplying the class B drug from the properties.
The court heard that the houses were "heavily fortified" with traps. Prosecutor Helen Chapman told jurors that Claughton had admitted to aiming for a Home Alone effect. Despite a sign on his workshop warning intruders to "prepare and get themselves measured up for their own coffin", Claughton denied intending to harm anyone, claiming the flame-thrower was made from a fire extinguisher for Bonfire Night displays.
The couple were caught after Border Force intercepted parcels from China containing imitation firearms. Police raids in May 2024 led to the evacuation of around 130 nearby properties while a bomb squad dealt with the traps. Officers found large amounts of cash, including £27,000 stitched into a sofa, along with a crossbow, knives and amphetamines hidden in a breadbin and a chocolate box.
Detective Superintendent Al Burns of the Yorkshire and Humber regional organised crime unit said Claughton had developed a siege mentality and went to "unusual and elaborate lengths" to defend his home, drawing inspiration from the film. He added that the devices caused serious concern and disruption, and hoped the community would find reassurance in the sentences.
