The pair met when Gamble was 15 and his wife 11 and married in 1976.
At the time of the offences Mrs Gamble was warden of sheltered accommodation in Berkeley Court, Cirencester, and her husband lived there with her.
The former labourer left the property in January and the locks were changed.
But when Mrs Gamble returned and started taking her clothes out of the wardrobe she noticed they had been cut up, with her trousers slashed and the back of every one of her tops slashed from bottom to top down the back.
He caused 5000 pounds (NZ$10,000) worth of damage to her clothing and 637 pounds to the flat.
Judge Jamie Tabor QC sentenced him to three months in prison, suspended for a year.
He said: "You are a man who had never been in trouble and then when your very long marriage came to an end you couldn't cope, for whatever reason, and you acted very sillily.
"But you are not a villain. You were a fool at the time."
Judge Tabor had deferred sentence after Gamble pleaded guilty at a hearing six months ago to see if he could stay out of further trouble. Gamble said he had not offended again or been arrested or questioned.
Defence lawyer Joe Maloney said: "She went off with another man, leaving him with 15,000 pounds of mutual debts to settle. He is at a very low ebb. But he certainly accepts that his 38-year marriage is now at an end."
Gamble is still in touch with his children aged 31, 33, and 38.
Because of his health problems he is unable to work and receives disability living allowance, the court heard.
He was also ordered to pay costs and a victim surcharge of 180 pounds.
With the aid of Turning Point, Gamble had tackled his drink problem and had not touched a drop since March 22nd this year, he added.
- Daily Mail
