An animal rights activist who stole a pig from a farm has been sentenced.
Wesley Omar, 23, filmed himself taking the pig from Belmont Farm, in Pickwell, near Melton Mowbray, last July and posted the footage on YouTube. Mr Omar admitted theft and said he did it to raise awareness of the conditions animals are kept in.
At Leicester Crown Court, he was handed a 12-month community order and 100 hours of unpaid work.
Judge Nicholas Dean QC said: “You are not entitled to commit criminal acts in the form of protest.”
The pig he stole, which was facing slaughter, was valued at about £50. It could not be returned because of contamination fears and it has since been named Wilbur and living on an animal sanctuary.
Judge Dean QC said the conviction would serve as a punishment because it would affect future employment.
The court heard the farmer has since invested up to £6,000 on new security measures, including CCTV and fences.
