Australian farmer accused of sexually assaulting a pig walks free - after 'pants dropping' video emerged online

The son of a pig farmer accused of raping a sow in its pen has been cleared after the police case was tossed out of court. 

Bradley O'Reilly, 32, of Carag Carag was charged after allegedly being caught on a secret camera by activists inside Midland Bacon pig farm, where his dad Ricky O'Reilly is a boss.

The video showed a person with their pants down allegedly raping Sow No. 8416, now given the name Olivia by activists, on February 11, 2024.

On Thursday, a single charge of bestiality was dismissed by Magistrate Williams after he eviscerated Victoria Police's case against O'Reilly. 

Mr Williams condemned Victoria Police over its handling of the case, branding the conduct of O'Reilly's arresting officers as 'plainly improper' and 'recklessly deceptive'. 

The magistrate ruled police could not rely on the video, tossed out O'Reilly's recorded record of interview and dismissed police claims he had confessed to the crime in the back of a police car following his arrest. 

The incident was allegedly captured on covert CCTV footage secretly installed by animal rights activists from the Farm Transparency Project, who were investigating alleged animal welfare abuses at the facility. 

Mr Williams ruled the video was obtained illegally and therefore could not be used against O'Reilly. 

'Vigilantism, even for laudable reasons, cannot and should not be encouraged,' he said. 

The magistrate also condemned the way police worked to 'trick' O'Reilly into confessing to the act after taking him into custody. 

'All right, mate, we're going to try and help you. We'll try and help you as best we can,' one officer told him. 

'We're not about punishing you or trying to embarrass you or anything like that, Bradley, you know, we're here to help you,' another told him. 

'And part of that is, you know, you being honest with us about what's going on ... because that's the only way we can help you.'

O'Reilly had no idea the officers were secretly recording the conversation. 

Police later claimed O'Reilly told them 'I did it' after they had already stopped recording. 

The magistrate described the conversation as 'highly improper' and 'deliberately misleading', noting they implied police could avoid charging or punishing O'Reilly if he confessed, despite knowing a charge was likely.

The court heard the arresting officers made no reference to the alleged confession throughout O'Reilly's 24 minute record of interview.

That interview was dismissed on similar grounds, with Mr Williams finding that police  were 'recklessly deceptive' and engaged in oppressive conduct by repeatedly and misleadingly telling O'Reilly they wanted to help him. 

'In my opinion, the obtaining of a conviction on the basis of that evidence is bought at a price which is unacceptable having regard to contemporary standards. Accordingly, I'd also refuse to the record of interview,' he said. 

While police initially told O'Reilly upon his arrest he was entitled to a lawyer, the court found he believed that opportunity had passed by the time he was in the interview seat. 

The court heard no police member at any point before or at the commencement of the formal recorded interview explicitly asked him again whether he wanted to exercise his right to speak to a lawyer or confirmed he had done so. 

In O'Reilly's testimony, he understood police promises of help to mean he might avoid being charged or embarrassed if he cooperated, which pressured him into admissions without properly availing himself of independent legal advice.

He described a 'sinking feeling' when told at the end of the interview that he would be charged, as he hadn't expected that outcome. 

While O'Reilly has been cleared of violating a pig, Daily Mail can reveal he is a convicted woman basher. 

In August 2024, O'Reilly, pleaded guilty in the Shepparton Magistrates' Court to 22 charges, including recklessly engaging in conduct, namely strangling, that placed his victim in danger of serious injury on multiple occasions.

He was allowed to walk free from court on a two-year community corrections order that saw him made to perform 200 hours of unpaid community work and obtain treatment for his allegedly warped mind.

The court heard O'Reilly had himself behaved 'like an animal' to his girlfriend, whom he admitted to strangling, menacing and providing a black eye.

Magistrate Simon Zebrowski made it clear just how close he came to jailing O'Reilly over his attacks on the woman, some of which happened in front of her child.

'This has been a very difficult sentencing exercise for me because your behaviour on its own is enough for me to sentence you to a term of imprisonment,' he said.

'Your behaviour is disgraceful and there is no excuse for it and any argument such as "oh we both get angry at each other and it escalates and I defended myself", it's all just rubbish.'

The respected magistrate continued his tirade, condemning O'Reilly for his despicable attacks on the woman, who sat beside her attacker at the front of the court.

'You never put your hands around your partner's throat,' he shouted.

'Ever. In any way. You certainly don't do things in front of children. So your behaviour is beyond disgraceful.'