Armitage had been trying to illegally gain access to steal from the building.
Police found him at home after his wife had initially reported him missing.
Armitage was badly injured after falling 30ft from the rafters of Chester cathedral and became stuck there for several hours.
He caused more than £13,000 worth of damage when he resorted to smashing stained glass windows to try and get out.
Mr Armitage was caught on CCTV stumbling around the Cathedral, clearly injured and he was wearing an Arsenal football shirt.
He stole £40 from the collection box.
After his wife reported him missing, police found him at home and recognised his Arsenal top from the CCTV footage.
Mr Armitage was taken to hospital to treat his injuries and was arrested when he was discharged from hospital.
On sentencing, Jude Patrick Thompson said: "It really is the lowest of the low stealing from a collection box.
"This is a historic building that brings in a great deal of tourism to Chester and a building that the city is quite rightly proud of. The cost of repairing the windows is astonishing really and they can never really be put back into their original condition, so that heritage to some extent is lost"
He received a two year jail sentence by Chester Crown court after pleading guilty to burglary and criminal damage.
Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.