Drug dealer jailed after rigging properties with 'Home Alone-style' booby traps

Mr Claughton's arrest was sparked by an intercepted delivery addressed to his home from China, containing imitation firearms which was stopped by UK Border Force at Heathrow.

This prompted a multi-agency investigation over three days in the village of Grimethorpe in Barnsley in May 2024.

Over the three days, residents were evacuated from the area surrounding the drug dealer's home as a 100-metre cordon was erected whilst military bomb squad experts investigated the property, as well as the National Crime Agency.

On Tuesday, Mr Claughton was sentenced to seven years in prison at Sheffield Crown Court.

His ex-wife, Lesley Claughton, 59, was also sentenced to 21 months and two years suspended for crimes linked to the same operation, including drug offences, possession of criminal property and purchasing an imitation firearm.

Mr Claughton told police he had booby trapped his home after burglars targeted his home looking for cannabis, taking inspiration from the 1990 comedy Home Alone.

He rigged his home with trip wires and home-made “pipe bombs”, describing the devices to police as “crow scarers”, similar to banger-style fireworks, which he had adapted by inserting them in plastic piping with expanding foam.

Trip wires were attached to the devices to “deter anyone breaking into his home”, West Yorkshire police said in a statement.

One device found was connected to a trip wire, leading to a 12v battery and an air horn, with another in found in the drug dealer’s bedroom.

Mr Claughton told police he was planning to plant a third device inside a bag of paint to mark any intruder.

Al Burns, Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Superintendent, Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit said: "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."

Simultaneous warrants were carried out at Mr Claughton’s home on Brierley Road, Grimethorpe and two other properties on 8 May 2024, with support from the National Crime Agency.

When the Home Alone imitator was arrested during the raid, police found “two primed man traps, two potential firearms and four large plastic bags of cannabis buds”, with an estimated value of £16,000.

Also, a small cannabis farm was found in a secret room in one of the properties and 1.5kg of amphetamine was found at his ex-wife’s home.

A crossbow and a home-made flame thrower, made from a fire extinguisher filled with petrol was also found at the properties, and £27,000 found stitched into a sofa.

Mr Claughton has told police he’d ordered the imitation firearms believing they fired blanks, intending to use them at a birthday party.

The amphetamine, according to him, was for weight loss and for chronic fatigue and he had grown the cannabis “under duress” from unnamed people, to which he did not financially gain.

He 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, amphetamines and cannabis.

However, he pleaded not guilty to three counts of possessing prohibited firearms, one in relation to the flamethrower; possession of criminal property in relation to the recovered cash; and possession of explosive substances.

Mr Claughton, along with his ex-wife were sentenced on yesterday, February 10.

Detective Superintendent Emma Wheatcroft, said: "This incident caused some real concern and disruption within the community of Grimethorpe, with some residents having to be evacuated from their homes.

"Firearms and weapons such as these have no place on our streets, where innocent people live and work. Thankfully, no one was hurt during this incident, but that could have been very different."