Alleged pig rapist Bradley O’Reilly to argue evidence against him ‘inadmissable’
An alleged pig rapist will challenge all the evidence against him as “inadmissible” after illegally installed cameras caught the man allegedly raping a sow while he was at work.
Goulburn Valley
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A farmer accused of raping a pig while he was working at his father’s piggery will argue that the evidence against him is inadmissible as it was illegally obtained by animal activists.
Bradley O’Reilly, 30, fronted the Echuca Magistrates’ Court on November 13 charged with bestiality.
Mr O’Reilly, of Carag Carag, was charged with bestiality after he was caught on camera allegedly raping a pig at the Midland Bacon piggery on February 11.
Campaspe detectives arrested and charged Mr O’Reilly on March 5.
Animal activists from the Farm Transparency Project had illegally installed secret cameras in the hope of finding unethical practices at the piggery, such as piglets being badly treated.
The court heard Mr O’Reilly was challenging the charge as the video was obtained illegally and therefore was “inadmissible”.
The hidden cameras were installed by the activists just prior to Mr O’Reilly’s allegedly raping the pig.
Mr O’Reilly tried to get a closed court to save himself “public embarrassment” despite many earlier media reports.
The attempt to get a closed court, made by his lawyer Douglas Shirrefs, so the media could be removed from the courtroom was rejected by Magistrate Trieu Hunyh.
Mr O’Reilly’s father Rick O’Reilly is the manager of the Midland Bacon piggery, who the Herald Sun revealed was “worried about being exposed” by animal activists for a number of years.
Animal activists descended on the piggery in the aftermath of the alleged rape.
They named the sow Olivia and tried to get her released from the abattoir.
Police will call one of the animal activists, Chris Delforce, as a witness when the matter returns to court next year, the court heard.
Before the matter returns to court, a voir dire will occur, which is a pre-trial procedure used to determine issues relating to evidence.
The prosecution will have to make submissions regarding the evidence by March 5.
The voir dire will occur on June 4, 2025, which will be heard as a special mention.
If the evidence proceeds, a contested hearing will occur at the Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on May 13.
Outside court, Farm Transparency Project’s Harley McDonald-Eckersall said it was up to the court whether the evidence was regarded as admissible or not.
Ms McDonald-Eckersall said in previous cases “judges have been allowed evidence that have been obtained through similar means as it would have been impossible to acquire evidence of a crime any other way”.
Mr O’Reilly’s bail was extended until he returns to court.
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