Canadian visitor convicted of animal cruelty over theft of Las Vegas hotel flamingo

A Canadian visitor has been convicted of animal cruelty after removing a Chilean flamingo from its enclosure at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino and taking it to his hotel room while heavily intoxicated.

Mitchell Fairbarn, 34, took the flamingo named Peachy from the casino’s wildlife habitat in March while visiting Las Vegas.

Videos shown during his trial depicted Fairbarn smiling as he carried Peachy by the neck and took a lift to his room. Fairbarn testified that he had consumed between 30 and 40 beers before the incident and said he never intended to harm the animal. He faces a prison sentence of nearly five years.

Animal experts testified that Peachy had feathers torn out and suffered significant blood loss as a result of Fairbarn’s actions.

Fairbarn’s lawyer said his client had intended the incident as a harmless prank and attributed his actions to alcohol-induced “bad decisions.”

“He should not have done that, should not have gone into the habitat, shouldn’t have touched a bird, shouldn’t have taken Peachy inside,” lawyer Josh Tomsheck said. “The truth is, Mitch was drunk. Mitch was stupid. He made bad decisions.”

Tomsheck also said Fairbarn had received death threats since his arrest.

In his defense, Fairbarn said he thought it would be “funny” to take the bird. He testified that he had been drinking throughout the night and had just finished speaking with a colleague when he decided to remove Peachy from the enclosure.

The Flamingo Las Vegas, located on the Las Vegas Strip, has a free wildlife habitat inside the hotel and casino that includes Chilean flamingos, other birds, fish and turtles.

During the trial, the jury heard from 14 witnesses and reviewed more than 112 pieces of evidence, according to CBS.

The jury deliberated for approximately five hours before convicting Fairbarn on felony and misdemeanor animal abuse charges.

Fairbarn has been unable to leave the United States since his arrest. He remains under house arrest in Las Vegas, with a sentencing hearing scheduled for December.

A veterinarian for the state said Peachy has largely recovered but now displays greater anxiety around people.

Source link