Burglar caught after leaving blood and axe at Clarendon Art Gallery in Stow-on-the-Wold

Jamie Nash has been sentenced to three years in prison Credit: Gloucestershire Police

A burglar who made off with almost £45,000 worth of artwork has been caught after leaving a smear of blood and an axe at the crime scene.

40-year-old Jamie Nash smashed through the door of the Clarendon Fine Art Gallery in Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, in the early hours of March 5 earlier this year.

He triggered the security alarm but had already made off with a huge haul of paintings and sculptures before police arrived.

Nash left an axe behind after fleeing the gallery with stolen artwork Credit: Gloucestershire Police

A DNA match to the blood left on the wall at the scene placed Nash at the gallery during the burglary.

Nash pleaded guilty at Gloucester Crown Court, where he also admitted to two counts of burglary at a jewellers in Bristol’s Cribbs Causeway amounting to nearly £4,000.

A smear of blood on a wall in the gallery led to Nash's identification Credit: Gloucestershire Police

Teresa Hunt, defending Nash, said after becoming addicted to cocaine he borrowed money to fund the habit. This then led to him committing the crimes.

He was sentenced to a total of three-and-a-half years in prison for the offences.