Dean Holm, 33, left his imprint after removing his gloves to pry open a jewellery box he’d stolen from inside a locked filing cabinet.
He had just smashed his way into the house on Valley Road in West Bridgford.
He stole thousands of pounds in jewellery after searching multiple rooms.
When the victim returned home from a few days away on Tuesday, January 3, police were notified.
At the scene, a thorough forensic investigation revealed Holm’s finger and palm print on the box.
He was apprehended shortly after being identified in the national police database.
More damning evidence was discovered on his phone, which revealed that he had researched several stolen watches to determine their value and called a local pawnbroker.
Holm, of Burton Road, Gedling, was sentenced to prison in 2016 for six house burglaries but later pleaded guilty to burglary.
He was sentenced to three years in prison today (Tuesday) at Nottingham Crown Court.
Unsurprisingly, this case caused considerable upset to the victim, who is constantly reminded of the stranger who invaded her family home,” said Detective Sergeant Ben Skellern of Nottinghamshire Police.
Many of the treasured items stolen that day have never been recovered and no amount of insurance money can possibly replace them.
“I hope, however, that she can find some comfort in the fact that Holm is now serving a richly deserved prison sentence.
“This was an outstanding investigation by all parties involved, and it has helped to prevent other residents from becoming victims of similar crimes.”
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