Drug supplier who booby-trapped his dwelling with tripwires and selfmade pipe bombs to thwart intruders after being impressed by Home Alone is jailed

A drug dealer has been jailed for seven years after rigging a series of houses with booby-traps inspired by classic Christmas movie Home Alone in efforts to protect his drugs enterprise.  

Ian Claughton, from Grimethorpe, South Yorkshire, ‘heavily protected’ his home and two neighbouring houses with tripwires, crow-scarers and homemade pipe bombs as he attempted to defend his drugs business from would-be intruders.

Around 100 homes were evacuated for three days in May 2024 as police and Army bomb squad experts searched the properties of Ian and his ex-wife Lesley Claughton on Brierley Road.

The police found a series of traps as well as a homemade flamethrower, large amounts of cannabis, air guns, amphetamines and cash. 

Footage shows Ian using the homemade flamethrower, which he told the court he made to ‘wow’ people during Bonfire Night. 

The 60-year-old was jailed for seven years at Sheffield Crown Court today, while Lesley, 59, was handed a 21-month sentence, which is suspended by two years granted she does not reoffend. 

Opening the trial 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.’

Fishing wire was found running across the length of one of the rooms at knee height, attached to an electrical connector and a battery pack, along with two high-powered air guns and a crossbow.

Ian told police the explosives were crow-scarers, used by farmers, which he had put into plastic piping and, in one case, into a bag of paint. 

A large amount of cash was also found, including £27,000 sewn into a sofa, and cannabis plants were found growing in two of the homes.

The couple were tipped off after Border Force at Heathrow Airport found five small five-shot revolvers ordered from China, leading to an investigation by the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit. 

Ian ordered the guns using Lesley’s eBay account, who was described in court as ‘assisting and encouraging’ her ex-husband’s criminality. 

Ian – who was convicted of three counts of possessing prohibited firearms, possession of criminal property and possession of explosive substances – denied intending to hurt any visitors, despite leaving a series of notes around the properties. 

One read: ‘Now would be a good time to get measured up for your coffin’. 

Ian 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 cleared of a firearms charge relating to a stun gun after a trial at Doncaster Crown Court.  

Lesley was found guilty of bringing a realistic imitation firearm into the country, possessing class B drugs with intent to supply, possession of criminal property and being concerned in production of cannabis.

Detective Superintendent Al Burns, of the Yorkshire Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: ‘Ian Claughton is someone who was clearly involved in drugs offending to a very significant degree. 

‘He appears to have developed a siege mentality that saw him go to unusual and elaborate lengths to defend his home and his illicit contents from would-be intruders, drawing inspiration from Macaulay Culkin’s character in the popular Christmas film Home Alone.’