Ian Claughton was convicted of 10 offences, including possession of firearms and explosives, drug production and possession of criminal property. Sheffield Crown Court heard that his elaborate security measures were inspired by the 1990 film Home Alone.
The case came to light after a package containing imitation firearms, shipped from China, was intercepted by UK Border Force at Heathrow Airport. The discovery triggered a three-day multi-agency operation in May 2024 in the South Yorkshire village of Grimethorpe, Barnsley.
Dozens of residents were evacuated and a 100-metre cordon put in place while army bomb disposal experts and officers from the National Crime Agency secured the scene.
Police said Claughton had developed what detectives described as a “siege mentality” after his home was previously targeted by burglars believed to be searching for cannabis.
Detective Al Burns, of the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit, said Claughton went to “unusual and elaborate lengths” to defend his home and its illegal contents, drawing inspiration from the traps set by Macaulay Culkin’s character in Home Alone.
Officers found improvised tripwire-activated devices, including crow-scarers — banger-style fireworks rigged to plastic sheeting. One device attached to a back door was linked to a 12-volt battery and air horn. Another was set up in a bedroom, while a third had been planned inside a bag of paint to mark intruders.
Claughton also kept videos on his phone demonstrating a makeshift flamethrower fashioned from a petrol-filled fire extinguisher with a candle taped to its side. Police seized crossbows, firearms and high-powered air weapons from the properties.
In total, officers uncovered six cannabis-growing sites across three homes, containing 59 plants. They also found 2kg of cannabis valued at more than £27,000, amphetamine worth up to £16,910 hidden inside a Maltesers box, and £27,000 in cash stitched into a sofa. The drug enterprise was estimated to be worth at least £62,000.
Claughton initially claimed he had been forced into drug production under duress and said the amphetamine was for weight loss and chronic fatigue. He later pleaded guilty to the drug charges.
His ex-wife, Lesley Claughton, 59, was also convicted of drug offences, possession of criminal property and purchasing an imitation firearm linked to the operation. She was sentenced to 21 months in prison, suspended for two years.
Police said the case highlighted the dangers posed not only by organised drug operations but also by improvised explosive devices placed in residential neighbourhoods.
