General · 10 February 2026
Drug dealer jailed 7 years for rigging home with Home Alone traps
Ian Claughton, 60, receives 7-year jail sentence after rigging Barnsley properties with 'Home Alone' inspired booby traps to protect cannabis operations. Police discovered homemade flamethrowers, pipe bombs, crossbows, and tripwires during raids, forcing army bomb squads to establish 100-meter cordon and evacuate dozens of neighbors for three days. Prosecutors revealed Claughton explicitly aimed for the film's aesthetic, leaving threatening notes for intruders. His ex-wife Lesley received 21-month suspended sentence for involvement.
Reported by Guardian · How we write briefs