The 51-year-old, from Harlow, Essex, admitted the stolen cash had been “received by him in evidence”.

He pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office at Wood Green Crown Court in north London in July.

Carter, who worked for the Met’s North Area Command Unit covering Enfield and Haringey, was suspended and later dismissed from the force in August after serving for 23 years.

During sentencing on Friday, Judge Kalyani Kaul KC told Carter about the impact of the crime on his career “you threw all of that away – you let down your force, you let down your community”.

Tetteh Turkson, of the Crown Prosecution Service, previously said: “The vast majority of police officers are viewed by members of the public as trustworthy, responsible and upstanding members of our society. Craig Carter fell woefully short of these expectations.

“The fact Carter thought he could freely steal from a victim who had sadly passed away is not only disturbing, but deeply disrespectful to the victim’s family. Our thoughts remain with them at this time.”‘

Carter admitted misconduct in public office on July 26 and the charge stated that “while acting as a public officer” he “took for his own use money from a wallet received by him in evidence in relation to a sudden death”.

During a previous court hearing, he was warned by the judge that “an immediate custodial sentence seems the likely outcome”.