Three activists convicted over theft of King’s lambs
Rose Patterson, Sarah Foy and Rosa Sharkey carrying lambs from a farm on the Sandringham Estate in May 2023 © Animal Rising Three animal rights activists have been found guilty of stealing three lambs from the King’s Sandringham Estate and sentenced to community orders requiring 150 hours of unpaid work.
Rose Patterson, 37, director of campaign group Animal Rising, Sarah Foy, 26, of North Street, Alfreton, Derbyshire, and Rosa Sharkey, 26, who now lives in Brighton, were convicted unanimously by a jury at Norwich Crown Court following a trial over the May 2023 incident.
The three women were each given a 12-month community order and ordered to pay £250 towards prosecution costs.
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The court heard the defendants entered Appleton Farm, part of the Sandringham Estate, and took three lambs, named Sammy, Sunny and Sooty by the campaign group. The lambs were subsequently taken to an undisclosed sanctuary and have not been recovered by authorities.
The women handed themselves in to police the following day, after travelling to Windsor and staging a demonstration carrying placards stating: “I rescued the King’s sheep”.
The defendants argued they had acted honestly and believed King Charles would have consented to the animals being taken because of his stated interest in animal welfare and the environment.
Prosecutor Dingle Clark told the jury it was “plainly dishonest” to take property belonging to someone else, arguing that the claim the King would have consented was “obvious nonsense”.
Unanimous verdicts
The jury took three hours and 48 minutes to reach its unanimous verdicts.
Sentencing, Judge Anthony Bate said the case highlighted “sensitive and important matters of public interest”.
Animal Rising said the verdict would not change its view that the lambs had been rescued. Ms Patterson, of Homerton High Street, London, said she did not regret taking them.
The group campaigns for an end to factory farming and a transition towards a plant-based food system. It has previously carried out direct-action campaigns targeting farms and other parts of the food industry.