A father of three could be jailed after he stole a flamingo during a business trip to Las Vegas. Mitchell Fairbarn, 34, was in the US city for a global construction exhibition, and started drinking one evening after work. After working his way through between 30 and 40 cans of beer, he wandered into his hotel's Flamingo Wildlife Habitat at 5am local time.
How the Flamingo Was Taken
Fairbarn allegedly entered the enclosure, home to six Chilean flamingos, and positioned himself beside one of the birds, called Bugsy. The New York Post reports he decided to grab one of the flamingos and bring it back to his hotel room for a short while. Somehow he succeeded in scooping up Peachy, a 27-year-old flamingo.
He then smuggled Peachy into the lift and transported him up to his accommodation at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino. According to Fairbarn, he stole the bird as a laugh, claiming his intention was to create a cracking anecdote that would last for years.
Caught on CCTV and Arrested
His stunt went pear-shaped when he was caught on CCTV footage snatching the tropical bird. After a few moments with Peachy in his hotel room, it seems Fairbarn had a change of heart. He left Peachy in the corridor so he could get changed, before returning him to his home.
By this time, hotel security had rumbled his stunt, and Fairbarn was confronted in the hallway by police officers and placed under arrest. The incident unfolded during the early hours of March 3, when Fairbarn was detained.
Trial and Conviction
He has since been under house arrest in Las Vegas for several months, required to hand over his passport, prohibited from leaving the United States or setting foot on the Las Vegas strip. Fairbarn initially faced four felony charges of animal abuse. Prior to jury deliberations, prosecutors narrowed the trial down to two felony counts of cruelty to animals specifically relating to the injuries Peachy suffered.
The trial began on Monday (October 13), at Regional Justice Center in downtown Las Vegas, where Fairbarn gave evidence. "I thought it was something that we could joke about for the rest of our lives," Fairbarn told the court. "Did you ever, at any time, have any malicious intent or desire?" his lawyer questioned, according to reports. "Did you intend to kill?" "No," Fairbarn replied.
Alongside Fairbarn, veterinary surgeon Dr Tiffany Moore gave evidence on Peachy's behalf, revealing Peachy had seven to eight missing feathers, broken shafts, and blood loss consistent with trauma. Fairbarn claims to have no knowledge of how Peachy lost his feathers, yet accepted full responsibility, conceding that the surveillance footage "doesn't look good."
During the trial, 14 witnesses spoke about the incident and more than 112 pieces of evidence, according to CBS. The jury took around five hours to convict him on felony and misdemeanour animal abuse charges. Fairbarn remains on house arrest until his sentencing hearing in December. He could now face up to five years in prison, according to the BBC.
