A DISGRACED former detective who stole thousands of pounds’ worth of mobile phones from the police store to sell online has dropped an appeal against his prison sentence.

Peter Yeates, the uncle of Joanna Yeates who was murdered in Bristol in 2010, was jailed for eight months in June after pilfering mobile phones and cameras from the stores across Dorset over three years.

The 51-year-old was handed the 34-week prison term after admitting four counts of theft from employer.

A spokesperson for the Court of Appeal confirmed that Yeates’ appeal had been “discontinued”.

Yeates, who retired last year as a detective sergeant in Dorset Police’s Major Crime Investigation team, blamed his offending on the breakdown of his marriage, pressures of work and the tragic murder of his niece.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard that Yeates, of Gravel Hill, Poole, had admitted stealing two Fujifilm Finepix digital cameras worth around £65, a Casio Exilim digital camera costing £26.47, and a number of mobile phones worth no more than £5,000 on dates between January 1 2009 and May 31 2012.

Investigations later established that Yeates had been selling phones on the Mazuma Mobile website and had recycled 461 phones with them over three years and received £10,671.35. The amount he received from each device ranged from £3 to £120.

Ian Lawrie QC said Yeates’s sense of humiliation was “profound”, He said Yeates once tackled an armed man during a domestic incident and had received six commendations during his career.

Sentencing, Judge Ian Pearson ordered Yeates to pay Dorset Police £8,000 and £500 towards court costs.

He said: “Any offences committed by serving police officers strikes at the trust the public have for our police forces.”