A former Suffolk police officer has been jailed for a year after fabricating evidence to cover his tracks for throwing away drug wraps seized during a roadside search.

Daniel Jackson was called to help two more junior officers making an arrest in Newmarket on October 20 last year.

The 28-year-old threw away three wraps of cocaine seized from a stopped vehicle, then filed a false report to say nothing had been recovered, Norwich Crown Court heard on Tuesday.

When officers challenged him about the missing evidence months later, Jackson made fake wraps, using granulated sugar, and logged them as an exhibit.

At earlier hearings, Jackson admitted misconduct in a public office and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The court heard that, before the incident, the officer of three years’ service, from Gorse Close, Lakenheath, had received a text message from his partner ending their relationship.

Judge Caroline Goodwin told Jackson: “I accept that you had received a very distressing text from your partner and that may have coloured your approach, but your conduct on this night was nothing short of disgraceful.”

She said Jackson allowed a suspect to leave the scene and discouraged a colleague from giving chase, saying he knew the suspect’s address and would speak to him later. He also allowed a suspect to keep £800 found in the stopped vehicle.

“It beggars belief that you simply say now that you threw away those wraps of class A drugs,” said the judge.

The former uniform patrol officer, based at Mildenhall, who resigned from the force in July, was also subject to a special case misconduct hearing last month.

Chief Constable Steve Jupp found that Jackson had committed gross misconduct, and would have been dismissed had he still been a serving officer. He was also placed on the police barred list.

Following the sentencing, Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Kearton said Jackson’s actions fell well below the standards expected, adding: “This was not a momentary lapse of judgement, and as such, he has paid a huge price with the loss of his job, a career in the police, and now has a criminal record.

“Suffolk Constabulary stands for the values of integrity, honesty, respect and trust. Jackson’s actions threatened those values, and there is no place for those that fall below the highest standards of personal and professional behaviour in our organisation.”