Mitchell Fairbarn convicted of animal cruelty in Las Vegas flamingo case
A jury found the Canadian tourist guilty after a flamingo named Peachy was taken from a Las Vegas Strip hotel habitat. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 1.
Mitchell Fairbarn, a Canadian tourist, was found guilty of animal cruelty by a Las Vegas jury on Monday, Oct. 19, in a case involving Peachy, a flamingo taken from a hotel habitat on the Las Vegas Strip. The verdict resolves the trial; sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 1, according to Gray News.
What jurors heard in the Peachy flamingo case
Fairbarn, 34, was in court when the verdict was read, Gray News reported. The jury of eight women and six men deliberated for several hours. His wife and a friend were also in the courtroom, according to the report. Two alternates had been appointed but were not needed.
Fairbarn faced two counts of animal cruelty. Prosecutors said one concerned what happened inside the flamingo habitat and the other concerned events in the hotel. He had originally faced four counts, but prosecutors narrowed the trial to what happened to Peachy in March, Gray News reported.
Prosecutors Haley Willming and Alex Chen presented surveillance footage, photographs and Snapchat clips at the start of the trial, according to Gray News. The report described footage of Fairbarn smiling and laughing as he grabbed Peachy by the neck, with two friends present. Other footage showed Fairbarn walking toward the elevators and Peachy alone in a hallway.
Fairbarn's account and the Dec. 1 sentencing
Fairbarn testified that taking Peachy was a drunken prank and denied intending to hurt or kill the bird, Gray News reported. He said he had consumed 30 to 40 beers. That was his account to the court; the jury returned a guilty verdict on the animal-cruelty case.
NBC News separately reported the conviction, identifying Peachy as the flamingo taken from the hotel enclosure. Gray News reported that Fairbarn will be sentenced on Dec. 1. The verdict establishes his guilt, while the punishment remains for the sentencing hearing.
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Sources and context
- Man convicted of animal cruelty for stealing flamingo from Las Vegas hotelNBC News
- Man accused of stealing flamingo found guiltyGray News, carried by WILX
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.