The illegal immigrant who owned a cat at the center of a row within the British cabinet was a shoplifter

The Bolivian man, who overstayed his student visa and whose case was highlighted at the Conservative Party Conference, was cautioned in 2007 after stealing from Debenhams in Oxford Street, London. He was arrested after admitting to the theft of four items of clothing that he tried to conceal while in the store's changing rooms. Despite the offense, however, he could not be expelled from Britain for the crime. Foreign nationals only face the prospect of deportation if they receive a sentence of more than a year. A judge allowed the illegal immigrant to dodge deportation over fears that separating him from his cat risked serious emotional consequences. The Bolivian not only argued that he would suffer from being separated from his cat, but also that his pet's quality of life would be affected. Immigration Judge James Devitte allowed the Bolivian to stay in Britain under Article 8 of the Human Rights Act – the right to a private and family life. The case had been thought to have involved a man and his girlfriend, but in fact the judgment reveals that the couple are two gay men. The judge heard evidence from the man's boyfriend's siblings, who confirmed that the pair had lived together for three years and said the Bolivian was regarded as their brother's partner.