MP’s wife found guilty of stealing his lover’s kitten

A POLITICIAN’s wife caught on CCTV stealing a kitten from the home of her husband’s lover has been found guilty of burglary.

Jurors at Birmingham Crown Court took just over five hours to convict Christine Hemming, 53, who snatched the cat three days after separating from Liberal Democrat John Hemming.

CCTV footage of the offence, on 29 September, shows Hemming crawling on her hands and knees underneath a window before sneaking into the home of Emily Cox.

Mrs Hemming had denied the charge, claiming she could not remember taking the four-month-old kitten, named Beauty.

She told the jury of six men and six women that she had visited the property to deliver post to her husband, MP for Birmingham Yardley. Hemming, who showed no reaction as the verdict was returned, will be sentenced next month.

During her evidence to the jury, the mother-of-three said: “It was just a blur. I left holding a kitten – there is no doubt about that – but I have no recollection of picking the kitten up.”

She was bailed to return to court on 28 October.