Man rigged house with traps to protect drug den

A man who rigged his house with "Home Alone-style" booby traps, including a flamethrower and tripwires, to protect his drugs enterprise has been jailed.

Ian Claughton, 60, "heavily fortified" three properties in Grimethorpe, Barnsley, with fishing wire, adapted crow-scarers and home-made pipe bombs to protect his cannabis growing operation.

Claughton and his ex-wife Lesley, 59, who "assisted and encouraged" his criminality, were found guilty of drug and firearms offences following a trial at Doncaster Crown Court in November.

At Sheffield Crown Court on Tuesday, Ian Claughton was sentenced to seven years in jail, while Lesley was handed a 21-month sentence, suspended for two years.

Their trial heard police raided the couple's properties in Brierley Road in May 2024 after Border Force officers discovered imitation firearms in a parcel addressed to Lesley Claughton.

About 100 neighbouring properties were evacuated while specialist detectives from the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit (YHROCU) searched the Claughton's homes.

Inside, officers initially found two primed mantraps, two potential firearms and four large plastic bags of cannabis buds, with an estimated value of £16,000.

During police interviews, Ian Claughton said the devices were "crow-scarers", similar to banger-type fireworks, which he had attached to trip wires to deter anyone breaking into his home.

A cannabis growing set-up with 24 plants was found hidden in a secret room at one next-door property, and, at his ex-wife's home, 1.5kg of amphetamine was found.

An array of imitation firearms were also found along with a crossbow and a home-made flamethrower, fashioned from a fire extinguisher filled with petrol.

Claughton was seen demonstrating it on a video recovered from his phone.

A large amount of cash was recovered, including £27,000 found stitched into a sofa, which the couple initially claimed had been obtained from car boot sales and inheritance.

Claughton told police he had ordered the imported "switch guns", believing they were blank firers and intended to use them at a themed birthday party.

Police said he claimed the amphetamine was his to use for weight loss and chronic fatigue, and that he had been growing the cannabis under duress and threats from unnamed others and that he had not benefited financially.

Ian Claughton told jurors the fire extinguisher-turned-flamethrower had been used to "wow" people during Bonfire Night and that he got the inspiration for his booby traps from the Macaulay Culkin film Home Alone.

Before the trial Ian Claughton pleaded guilty to bringing a realistic imitation firearm into Great Britain, being concerned in production of a controlled drug of Class B, namely cannabis, and possession with intent to supply a controlled drug of Class B, namely amphetamine and cannabis.

He was later found guilty of two counts of possession of a firearm, possession of criminal property and possession of explosive substances.

Lesley Claughton was found guilty of bringing a realistic imitation firearm into Great Britain, possessing Class B drugs with intent, possessing criminal property and being concerned in production of Class B drugs.

Senior investigating officer, Det Supt Al Burns, of the YHROCU, said Ian Claughton had been 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 its illicit contents from would-be intruders, drawing inspiration from Macaulay Culkin's character in the popular Christmas film Home Alone," said Burns.

"The modified booby trap devices officers found at his address, alongside an array of other weapons, had the appearance of home-made bombs and obviously caused us serious concerns."

Helen Wragg, Senior Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service in Yorkshire and Humberside, said: "Ian and Lesley Claughton ran a significant drugs operation from their properties, going to extraordinary lengths to protect their illegal enterprise.

"The traps, explosives, and weapons found were not props from a film, but real devices capable of causing serious harm."