MP John Hemming's wife found guilty of kitten theft

The wife of a Liberal Democrat MP has been convicted of the theft of a kitten from the home of her husband's lover. Christine Hemming, 53, whose husband John is MP for Birmingham Yardley, was found guilty of trespass and theft at Birmingham Crown Court. The kitten, called Beauty, has not been found since she was filmed on CCTV being removed from the Birmingham home of Emily Cox on 29 September 2010. The animal was owned by the four-year-old daughter the MP had with Ms Cox. Mrs Hemming, from Moseley, Birmingham, married Mr Hemming in 1981 after they met at a conference in Bridlington. She told the three-day trial her husband had had 26 liaisons since they married and that he finally left their marital home three days before the theft. Mrs Hemming said she had only learned that her husband had a "love child" with Ms Cox from members of the media in April 2005.