A THIEF who smashed his way into a department store to steal more than £20,000 of gold jewellery has been jailed.

Ashley Marks and an accomplice used an axe to shatter the display window at Nicholls in Abergavenny, Newport Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Leah Pollard said the raid last October was captured on CCTV and the defendant left a bottle at the scene with his fingerprints on it.

Police also later found glass fragments on the defendant’s clothes.

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She told Judge Daniel Williams how the 23-year-old Marks and Jeremiah McCarthy targeted the store and made off with Clogau Welsh jewellery worth £20,450.

The court heard also heard how the late night break-in which targeted the display window had cost Nicholls an additional £5,200 apart from the theft of stock.

Miss Pollard said the estimated loss of revenue of caused by disruption to trade because of the damage and repairs was put at £3,000, the replacement window was priced at £1,250 and the increased security measures they have now introduced had a £950 tag.

Marks, of Morgan Street, Blaenavon, admitted burglary, and was jailed for 28 months.

McCarthy, aged 34, of Fireman’s Court, Brynmawr, pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and he was jailed for 27 months at Cardiff Crown Court earlier this year.

Miss Pollard said: “The store was deliberately targeted and there had been a significant degree of planning.”

Marks had seven previous convictions for 10 offences, including dwelling and non-dwelling burglary.

Nigel Fryer, mitigating, said: “The defendant has sensibly entered a guilty plea.”

He added that his client was expecting to be a father in October.

As well as jailing him, Marks was told by Judge Williams that he will have to pay a victim surcharge upon his release from custody.

He is due to serve half of the 28-month jail sentence imposed.