It is not looking good for the ‘hot felon’s’ UK career

THE “world’s hottest criminal” was this week deported from the UK after being refused entry by border officials in London.

Con-turned-model Jeremy Meeks was sent packing back to New York eight hours after he arrived at Heathrow Airport ahead of a number of fashion shoots.

The 33-year-old, known as the ‘hot felon’, found fame after his smouldering arrest mugshot went viral. Before becoming the new darling of the catwalk, he was, however, better known to police cameras than those wielded by Vogue and GQ’s snappers.

He was charged in 2002 with robbery and corporal injury to a child. Meeks allegedly jumped a 16-year-old and beat him to a pulp. He copped a plea and was sentenced to two years in a California prison.

According to documents, Meeks admitted during the case he was affiliated with a criminal street gang, which is a crime in California. Court documents say he was a Northside Gangster Crip.

He served his time and moved to the Spokane area of Washington, where in 2007, he was charged with identity theft and resisting arrest.

While Meeks is to be commended for trying to turn his life around, those jumping in to argue he should be allowed into the UK should take a minute to consider his crimes.

Thousands of Brits are denied entry to the US each year for far lesser offences. Do these people think America should start letting in our good-looking ones on the same basis? Quite rightly, no.

When you commit a crime there are consequences that follow that go beyond the often lenient prison sentences handed out.

The biggest issue here however is not that Meeks was deported but why our border controls appear unable to keep other often more dangerous criminals, from countries closer to home, out of the UK.

Jeremy Meeks might be exhibiting model behaviour now – but that wasn’t always so