A man has blamed having “30 to 40 beers” as his reason for stealing a flamingo in Las Vegas, as he faces jail time on animal cruelty charges.
Back in March, Mitchell Fairbarn made headlines after he stole a flamingo from the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino’s animal habitat. Fairbarn, 33, from Ontario, Canada, took photographs with the bird, picking it up, and holding it’s neck as he led it back to his hotel room.
Images of him with the bird – named Peachy – hit social media shortly after, with the 33-year-old initially being charged with torturing an animal. He has been in court facing multiple counts of felony animal cruelty, which could land him behind bars.
During the trial, Fairbarn said he was in Vegas for work, and was ‘letting loose’ after finding out that his father had been diagnosed with cancer.
Man stole real-life flamingo from Flamingo Hotel habitat
As per 8NewsNow, the 33-year-old admitted that it was “stupid behaviour,” blaming it on the “30 to 40” beers that he had throughout the day.
“I thought it was something that we could joke about for the rest of our lives,” Fairbarn told the court when asked about calling his work colleagues about taking the flamingo.
He said he did not intend to torture or harm the animal, but admitted to lying to security about seeing an “injured animal,” before he grabbed hold of Peachy.
Las Vegas Police DepartmentThe 33-year-old was seen on CCTV and Snapchat holding the Flamingo.
The flamingo has since recovered from the injuries sustained back in March.
As for Fairbarn, he is set to find out his fate before the end of October. Closing statements are to be heard on October 19.
The charges carry up to a maximum of four years in prison, and with four counts of felony animal abuse on the table, he could spend a fair bit of time behind bars. Hefty fines of up to $5000 are also possible, as well as restitution to the hotel.
