A married father of three has been found guilty of animal cruelty in court on October 19 after he stole a flamingo during a business trip to Las Vegas. The bird was said to have been harmed in the incident.
Mitchel Fairbarn, 34, was in Las Vegas for a global construction exhibition. After finishing work, he drank between 30 and 40 cans of beer and then entered the Flamingo Wildlife Habitat at 5:00 am local time, following a day of drinking and casino games.
Flamingo taken to hotel room
Fairbarn entered the enclosure, home to six Chilean flamingos. He positioned himself beside one of the birds, called Bugsy, before an idea struck him. According to his testimony, he thought it would be hilarious to grab one of the flamingos and bring it back to his hotel room for a short while.
He succeeded in scooping up Peachy, a 27-year-old flamingo who is both famous and adored. From that point, Fairbarn managed to smuggle Peachy into the lift and transport the bird up to his accommodation at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino.
Some have likened the incident to a scenario echoing the Hangover films, but it was not Mike Tyson's tiger. According to Fairbarn, he took Peachy 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 wrong when he was caught on CCTV footage snatching the tropical bird. After spending a few moments with Peachy in his hotel room, Fairbarn had a change of heart. He placed Peachy in the corridor so he could get changed before returning the bird to its enclosure.
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.
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.
Trial and conviction
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 formally commenced on Monday (October 13) at the 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 were presented, 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.
