Barnsley man who rigged home with ‘Home Alone-style’ traps guilty

A man who rigged his house with trip wires and minor explosives “Home Alone-style” will face a significant jail term, a judge has warned.

Ian Claughton, 60, “heavily fortified” three properties in Grimethorpe, Barnsley, with fishing wire, adapted crow-scarers and weapons to protect his drug enterprise.

Claughton and his ex-wife Lesley, 59, who had “assisted and encouraged” his criminality, were found guilty of several drugs and firearms offences following a trial at Doncaster Crown Court.

The pair, who had been married for 17 years, will be sentenced on 10 February at Sheffield Crown Court.

Ian Claughton had already 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.

On Friday, a jury also found him guilty of two counts of possession of a firearm, possession of criminal property and possession of explosive substances.

He was cleared of one firearms offence relating to a stun gun, which he had explained had been left behind his fridge-freezer by a previous tenant.

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.

Their trial heard police raided three of their properties in Brierely Road on 8 May 2024 after Border Force officers discovered imitation firearms in a parcel addressed to Lesley Claughton.

Inside their homes, officers found large quantities of dried cannabis, cannabis plants and cash – some of which had been hidden in secret rooms.

An array of weapons, including a home-made flamethrower, adapted crow-scarers and two high-powered guns, were also found and prompted the evacuation of 100 nearby homes.

Ian Claughton told jurors the fire extinguisher-turned-flamethrower had been used to “wow” people during Bonfire Night and denied it had been used as a weapon.

He had also dismissed the fact that a sign to the entrance of his workshop had warned intruders of a flamethrower and instructed them to “prepare and get themselves measured up for their own coffin”.

At a third property, occupied by Lesley Claughton, police found amphetamine stored in a Maltesers chocolate box in the fridge as well as 1.5kg of the drug in “little snack bags” in the bread bin.

Police also found a crossbow, crossbow bolts, a knife and “an enormous amount of cash”, including £27,000 stitched into a sofa.

Both had denied having obtained any of the cash through illegal dealings, claiming it had come from successful car boot sales, inheritance, selling tools and from an old business that had wound up.

The prosecution said Lesley Claughton was aware of her ex-husband’s criminality, had “provided assistance and encouragement” and was “in on it”.

The mother of three, who the court heard was in receipt of Universal Credit, was granted bail during Friday’s hearing but told by Judge Graham Reeds to “prepare for prison”.

Addressing Ian Claughton, the judge warned he faced a “long sentence of imprisonment” and remanded him into custody.