Inspired By Home Alone, British Drug Dealer Rigs Properties With Booby Traps

A British drug dealer who rigged his houses with booby traps inspired by the Christmas classic, Home Alone, has been sentenced to seven years in prison. Ian Claughton, 20, was standing trial at Doncaster Crown Court alongside his ex-wife, Lesley Claughton, who was given a 21-month sentence suspended for two years.

During the trial, the prosecutors informed the court that Claughton and Lesley heavily fortified their houses in Grimethorpe, a village on the outskirts of the town, using tools such as modified crow scarers, fishing wire, stun guns and even a homemade flame-thrower.

“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," prosecutor Helen Chapman told the jury during the trial.

The Crown Prosecution Service posted a video showing Claughton testing the home-made flamethrower outside his home. Claughton told the court he crafted the flame-thrower from a fire extinguisher to “wow” people during Bonfire Night.

He even posted a sign outside his workshop, warning intrduders to not enter or risk getting hurt by the heavily electrified gate. "Congratulations. Well done for getting this far. Now would be a good time to get measured up for your coffin and say goodbye to loved ones. This gate is electrified in excess of 50,000 volts. Enter at own risk, be warned," the sign stated.

A drug dealer from Barnsley who booby-trapped his home with "Home Alone style" explosives and a homemade flamethrower to protect a sophisticated drugs operation has been jailed. Found out how prosecutors brought Ian Claughton to justice here 👉 https://t.co/Lj8QnFys4K pic.twitter.com/meW2fEsSRH

— Crown Prosecution Service (@CPSUK) February 10, 2026

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'He Developed A Seige Mentality'

“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 its illicit contents from would-be intruders, drawing inspiration from Macaulay Culkin's character in the popular Christmas film Home Alone," said Detective Superintendent Al Burns, of the Yorkshire and Humber regional organised crime unit

Claughton's three properties were raided in May 2024, with the police uncovering six cannabis grow sites containing 59 plants in an ongoing production cycle worth an estimated 62,000 pounds. Officers also seized two kg of cannabis valued at 27,730 pounds and amphetamine worth up to 16,910 pounds, hidden in a Maltesers box

Claughton was convicted of three counts of possessing prohibited firearms, possession of criminal property and possession of explosive substances. Meanwhile, 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.