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Vegan Activist Who Stole A Pig And Played It Elvis Songs Is Spared Jail

Vegan Activist Who Stole A Pig And Played It Elvis Songs Is Spared Jail

The former investment broker 'saved' the pig and took it to a nearby animal sanctuary.

Anonymous

Anonymous

An animal rights activist who filmed himself stealing a pig from a farm and calmed it down with Elvis Presley songs has avoided a jail sentence.

Wesley Omar, from Leicester, who lost his job as an investment broker as a result of his piggy pinching, pleaded guilty to theft in July last year.

The 23-year-old was instead sentenced to a 100-hour community service order after the farmer from Belmont Farm pressed charges, after seeing a video of the pig being stolen on YouTube.

BPM Media

The video sees Wesley 'checking out' Belmont Farm in Pickwell, and shows viewers the conditions the pigs were subjected to, which he claims were "cramped".

Wesley said: "I wasn't planning to steal him, it just happened at the last minute and I took the nearest pig. I couldn't take them all."

After its great escape, the fugitive pig was left feeling stressed, which is when Wesley switched on the radio and let Elvis work his wonders. Because who doesn't like Elvis?

Wesley said: "The pig I took was grunting in the car and needed calming down, so I put the radio on and it seemed to work."

He added: "I know I broke the law, which was wrong, but at least I saved a life."

The liberated pig was given the name Wilbur and was taken to a nearby animal sanctuary.

A while later, a video of Wesley visiting Wilbur at the sanctuary went viral after fellow vegan activist and musician Moby shared it on social media.

At the court case, Judge, Nicholas Dean QC said: "I accept you were doing it for a cause you believe in, but to act unlawfully for a cause is a criminal offence."

He went on to say that Wesley was entitled to express his believes but in doing so had affected the rights of the farmer, who had to pay £6,000 to upgrade his security system.

James Armstrong-Holmes, mitigating, said: "His intentions were somewhat humane.

"The pig is at a sanctuary and will live its life fully. It can't be taken back as there's a potential risk of contamination.

"He lost his job as an investment broker."

Wesley said he chose the farm because it was local to his house.

Wesley now plans to study psychology at the University of Derby and said he doesn't plan on doing anything like this again.

Featured Image Credit: BPM Media

Topics: UK News, Animal Rights, Vegan