A mother of three yesterday became the first British lesbian to be convicted of bigamy under new civil partnership rules.

Suzanne Mitchell, 29, entered into a civil union with another woman before her marriage to her husband, Charles, had been annulled.

At a short hearing at Shrewsbury Crown Court, Mitchell pleaded guilty to breaching the 2004 Civil Partnerships Act, which allows same-sex couples to “marry”.

She met Caroline Beddows, a 24-year-old secretary, at a bus stop and left her husband after seven years of marriage.

The lovers decided to marry in February 2005. But following a tip-off, police arrested Mitchell, a barmaid from Shrewsbury, for entering a partnership illegally.

Yesterday, wearing a long cream skirt and leather jacket, Mitchell admitted falsely telling the registrar at her civil partnership ceremony that she was single.

Her defence barrister, Michael Brogan, said that Mitchell had now returned to her husband.

Mr Brogan said: “She has reformed a relationship with her husband and the partnership she entered into has effectively fallen apart.”

Granting bail, Judge Robin Onions questioned Mitchell’s decision to conduct an interview with a magazine while awaiting trial, and warned her not to carry out further press interviews before sentencing.

He said: “If she is going to say she expresses remorse there is precious little remorse shown in that.”

In an interview with a Sunday newspaper in May, Mitchell said: “Sometimes I ask myself why I did it, but I really don’t know. When I think back, Caroline used to dress in trousers with short hair and looked like a boy. And the sex wasn’t as good as it was with Charles.

“I was depressed and my marriage was going through a rough patch at the time. Caroline regularly told me she was bisexual and fancied sex with me and Charles. One night after a few drinks she was round our house and we tried to talk Charles into it. But he didn’t want to, so we went to bed together and left him downstairs.

“At the start it was just fun, a joke really. But we became closer and Caroline moved out of her flat and in with me, and Charles moved downstairs.

“I didn’t think it was a proper marriage. I thought it was just a blessing to show that I was committed to her. I knew I was still married to Charles. I just feel very angry that I ever got involved with her. It was an empty relationship.”

Ms Beddows told the newspaper: “I didn’t know Suzanne was married. She told me she and Charles were already divorced. I never suggested three in a bed as she says.

“It is her fault if she lied on the certificate and said she was single. When I found out she was still married to Charles about a month after our civil partnership ceremony I went ballistic. Before the ceremony Suzanne insisted I changed my name to hers so we would be a proper couple. Now I will have to change it back by deed poll.”

Yesterday Mitchell was granted conditional bail until August 6, when she will appear in court again to be sentenced.

Michell, who was accompanied by a relative, refused to speak after the landmark ruling and had to be shielded from a group of photographers as she emerged from the court.

The Civil Partnership Act 2004 was introduced in Britain on December 5, 2005, and enables a same-sex couple to make a union akin to marriage.

Civil partners have the same property rights as married couples, and the same exemption as married couples on inheritance tax, social security and pension benefits.

They also have the ability to get parental responsibility for their partner’s children.

According to the Office for National Statistics, more than 20,000 couples have entered into a civil partnership.

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