Activists face trial over alleged theft of Sandringham lambs

Three Animal Rising activists are due to appear at Norwich Crown Court today (Monday 21 September) accused of stealing three lambs from King Charles’s Sandringham Estate.

Rose Patterson, 36, Sarah Foy, 25, and Rosa Sharkey, 25, have pleaded not guilty to three counts of theft following the removal of the lambs from Appleton Farm, West Newton, in May 2023, part of the Sandringham Estate.

The women have acknowledged taking the animals, which they named Sammy, Sunny and Sooty, but their defence centres on whether their actions were dishonest, a requirement for theft.

See also: How animal activists are changing tactics to target farms

Animal Rising said the three entered a field at about 8pm on 24 May 2023, carried the lambs away and transported them to a secure location.

The following morning, the women voluntarily attended a police station in Slough, Berkshire, and were arrested on suspicion of theft.

At the time, Animal Rising, which openly campaigns against livestock farming, said the lambs were destined for slaughter.

The organisation has since said the sheep remain alive and are being kept at an undisclosed location.

The case is likely to focus on the circumstances surrounding the removal of the lambs and whether the defendants’ stated motivation affects the legal test for theft.

The women were previously due to stand trial earlier this year, but the case was postponed and relisted for 21 September.

The trial is expected to last about four days.