Canadian Tourist Convicted of Animal Cruelty Over Flamingo Taken From Las Vegas Hotel
Photo: The GuardianA Nevada jury on Monday convicted Canadian tourist Mitchell Fairbarn, 34, of felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty for taking Peachy, a 27-year-old Chilean flamingo, from its enclosure at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino on March 3 and carrying it to his room. He faces up to four years in prison on the felony and possibly six months more, and is under house arrest until sentencing on December 1. Fairbarn testified he drank 30 to 40 beers and thought it would be funny. Prosecutors called it a malicious prank; defense lawyer Josh Tomsheck said he was drunk and made bad decisions. Experts testified the bird had feathers torn out and lost blood; its veterinarian said it is now more anxious.
Right-leaning coverage leads with the drinking and Fairbarn's testimony, including that he accepted responsibility but did not know how feathers went missing. Left-leaning coverage leads with the verdict, prosecutors' account and the veterinarian's assessment. Alternative coverage highlights video of him carrying the bird by the neck, expert injury testimony and his lawyer's report of death threats. All agree on the conviction and the drunken-prank defense.
How the sides differ Right sources stress Fairbarn's drinking and testimony; left sources emphasize prosecutors' account and the bird's condition; alternative sources add video, injury testimony and death threats.
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Leads with the conviction and prosecutors' claim of a malicious prank, set against the defense's drunken-foolishness argument, and features the bird's veterinarian on its lingering anxiety.
Leads with the guilty finding, citing trial video of Fairbarn carrying the bird by the neck, animal experts on its injuries, and his lawyer on his drunkenness and death threats.
Leads with the drunken tourist and his testimony about 30 to 40 drinks, a joke gone wrong, and an admission of responsibility, citing the hotel engineer and his lawyer's harsh self-description of him.