Drug dealer who rigged house with 'Home Alone' booby-traps jailed for seven years

He was jailed for seven years at Sheffield Crown Court by Judge Graham Reeds on Tuesday, who said he was “a drug dealer who used these weapons to protect his cannabis growing operation”.

Mr 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 convicted of three counts of possessing prohibited firearms, possession of criminal property and possession of explosive substances after a trial at Doncaster Crown Court.

However, he was cleared of a firearms charge relating to a stun gun.

About 100 homes in the former pit village of Grimethorpe, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, were evacuated in May 2024 as police searched three neighbouring houses connected to Mr Claughton and his ex-wife Lesley Claughton, 59, who was was sentenced to 21 months in prison, suspended for two years.

Mrs Claughton 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.

When police entered one of the “heavily protected” houses they found a fishing wire running across the length of one of the rooms at knee height, attached to an electrical connector and a battery pack.

They were also greeted with a series of traps, as well as a home-made flamethrower, large quantities of cannabis, amphetamines and cash.

Mr Claughton told officers the explosives were crow-scarers, used by farmers, which he had inserted into plastic piping and, in one instance, into a bag of paint.

Other devices found in the property consisted of banger fireworks inside piping, sealed with foam, with wires and a coiled spring, with a stun gun also found behind a fridge-freezer.

Other weapons found at the properties included two high-powered air guns and a crossbow, with £27,000 in cash sewn into a sofa.

Cannabis plants were found growing in two of the houses, including some in tents in hidden rooms.

Detectives from the Yorkshire and Humber regional organised crime unit executed the warrants after Border Force found a package of imitation firearms ordered from China, addressed to Lesley Claughton.

The package was opened at London Heathrow Airport and five small silver-and-black folding five-shot revolvers were found, ordered by Ian Claughton using Lesley Claughton’s eBay account.

A three-day multi-agency operation saw dozens of residents evacuated as a 100-metre cordon was put in place in Grimethorpe while Army bomb squad experts were called in.

Detective Superintendent Al Burns, of the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: “Ian Claughton 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.

“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, which were rightly met with an appropriate multi-agency response to safeguard the public until military experts could declare the scene safe.

“This caused significant disruption and concern in the local community over a number of days, and we hope all those affected can take some comfort and reassurance from seeing Claughton and his ex-partner being criminally held to account.”

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