British MP’s wife faces trial over cat theft

LONDON - A British parliamentarian’s wife Thursday appeared in a court after being charged with burgling the house of her husband’s lover and stealing a cat.

Christine Hemming, wife of the Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming, appeared before Birmingham magistrates’ court. She is alleged to have burgled the home of Emily Cox, with whom the Yardley MP fathered a child, Sep 29.

Magistrates were given a brief outline of the alleged facts in the case and committed Christine, 52, a senior partner with a city recruitment agency, for crown court trial, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The Lib Dem MP’s spouse was granted conditional bail and will reappear before magistrates for a hearing Dec 16.

The fate of the cat was not made clear, but a picture of the animal, apparently called Beauty, was posted on the MP’s blog under the heading “kitten missing” at 8.07 a.m. Thursday.

The photograph was accompanied by a message which read: “If anyone has seen this kitten please contact me at the House of Commons. There is a reward for its return.”

Millionaire John Hemming has had a colourful love life. He fathered a love child and his wife once claimed that he had at least 26 affairs.

After admitting fathering Cox’s child Hemming went on to vote himself Love Rat of the Year in a newspaper poll.

His wife backed him for leadership of the Liberal Democrat party despite his many affairs. Cox, a researcher and Lib Dem city councillor for Moseley and Kings Heath, gave birth to her and Hemming’s daughter, Isabel, in October 2005.