HE thought he was days away from getting out of the drugs business.

But Jason Evans then sold heroin to an undercover police officer and has now been jailed for 32 months.

Evans sold the heroin while on police bail for possession offences committed a month earlier.

Southampton Crown Court heard Evans, 33, had been addicted to heroin for 12 years and had been dealing to pay off a debt to a dealer known as “AZ”.

He was caught last March in Onslow Road, Southampton, with five wraps of heroin and seven wraps of crack cocaine, worth £360 and later admitted swallowing more drugs while he was being arrested.

Evans continued to deal after being released on bail, selling £55 worth of heroin to an undercover officer on three occasions in April.

In mitigation, the court heard he was being pressured into dealing to pay off his debts and wanted to quit to become a labourer, telling the undercover officer it was his “last day” dealing on their third meeting.

He had also been praised for his behaviour in prison.

Judge Peter Henry QC said: “You are of a good frame of mind and want to get off drugs and start a proper life.”

Evans was also given a 27-month jail term for the possession offences to run alongside the longer sentence.