Glamorous vegan lingerie model to plead guilty to piglet theft
A glamorous lingerie model and vegan activist caught “rescuing” piglets from a farm after posting the raid on Instagram will plead guilty to animal theft.
Glamorous vegan activist Lauren McGeachin is preparing to be sentenced for animal theft from aSource:Supplied
Lingerie model and Instagram influencer Lauren McGeachin has vowed to continue her vegan activism after she pleads guilty to separate charges of stealing piglets and breaking into a chicken farm.
McGeachin was ready to be sentenced last month in Brisbane Magistrates Court for the theft of six piglets from a Queensland farm and entering a premises with intent.
But she changed her mind about pleading guilty.
Now the 28-year-old, who models lingerie, swimwear and activewear in Queensland, has indicated she will plead guilty to the charges, plus an earlier charge of illegal entry to the poultry farm.
She told news.com.au she is prepared to be sentenced this Thursday.
The passionate animal campaigner was caught “rescuing” piglets from a farm last November after posting the late-night raid to her 70,000 Instagram followers.
She was also charged for allegedly breaking into a chicken farm, Williams Poultry in Canningvale, on Queensland’s Southern Downs between July 12 and 14 last year.
The animal theft involving six piglets happened in the middle of the night last November 10, when
McGeachin and five others broke into the Cameron Pastoral Company’s Pittsworth piggery near Toowoomba.
One of them, Brianna Thauer, pleaded guilty to illegal entry and the theft of six piglets
The egg and pork production farm on Queensland’s Darling Downs west of Brisbane has $4 million worth of stock, including 4000 piglets.
McGeachin later shared a distressing image of a pile of dead piglets in a stall, along with a live sow overplayed with the words “I’m so sorry”.
Lingerie model and Instagram influencer Lauren McGeachin will be sentenced for piglet theft and breaking into a chicken farm.Source:Supplied
Lauren McGeachin with one of the piglets the group took from Cameron’s piggery near Toowoomba.Source:Supplied
Lauren McGeachin is an Instagram model for swimwear, lingerie and activewear.Source:Supplied
Lauren’s image of the sow in the piggery. Picture: InstagramSource:Supplied
Lauren McGeachin modelling.Source:Supplied
Ten days after McGeachin posted the “piglet rescue” on her Instagram page, 10 police officers raided her home and charged her with theft of livestock and trespass.
She told news.com.au at the time that after her arrest her father said the vegan animal rescue movement was “a brainwashing cult”.
“My family was very upset. My dad was shocked and disappointed,” she told news.com.au of her family’s reaction after police linked GPS co-ordinates on photos and videos taken of the raid.
McGeachin also told news.com.au she intended to continue as an animal activist beyond her court plea and was speaking out in an effort to stop animal cruelty.
But she could not confirm if she would again break into a farm.
Lauren McGeachin Picture: InstagramSource:Supplied
Lauren McGeachin Picture: InstagramSource:Supplied
McGeachin, who told news.com.au she had been a vegan for nine years and was passionate about animal welfare, said her group had crept into the piggery under darkness and spent about three hours inside.
“Our intention was just to save piglets. We took to social media to show footage of the farm,” she said.
One of the group is a member of vegan animal rights group “Meat the Victims”, which has mounted previous protests on Queensland livestock farms.
Vegan activist and Instagram model Lauren McGeachin (left) attends court with Brianna
Thauer, who pleaded guilty in January. Picture: Annette Dew.Source:News Corp Australia
Brianna and Lauren with piglets after the break-in. Picture: InstagramSource:Supplied
Lauren, a piglet and her vegan message.Source:Supplied
After taking the piglets, McGeachin was filmed with them at a Queensland home and in the backyard in photos captioned “freedom” and “feeling the sun and the grass for the first time”.
Queensland Police said the piglets were taken before they had the chance to receive their first milk, which was “vital for survival”.
Two of the piglets were seized but could not be returned to the piggery because of “biosecurity” issues, McGeachin told news.com.au.
An unconfirmed number remained missing.
McGeachin said she hoped a police suggestion that the piglets would have to be euthanased was not true and she or fellow animal activists could take care of them.
“I am being remorseful,” she said.
“I am not angry at the farmer and I do know this is their lifestyle.
“But obviously we want better treatment of animals.
“I understand there will be people who sympathise with the farmer.”
But at the time her biggest worry was that the seized piglets “will die”.
McGeachin said she and her fellow activists had tried everything they could to “stop them being killed” and were willing to “to pay for their safety.”
https://www.news.com.au/national/courts-law/glamorous-vegan-lingerie-model-to-plead-guilty-to-piglet-theft/news-story/2396797d35723222bc94479aba58dfe5