A jury at Norwich Crown Court has unanimously found three animal rights activists guilty of theft after they took three lambs from the King's Sandringham Estate. Rosa Sharkey, aged 26, Sarah Foy, aged 26, and Rose Patterson, aged 37, maintained throughout their three-day trial that they had rescued the animals, but the panel of five men and seven women rejected their defence. Sentencing was scheduled for later on Thursday, with the judge indicating he had in mind a community order and unpaid work.
The three defendants, members of the campaign group Animal Rising, claimed they believed the King "would have consented to their rescue" given his status as an "environmentalist". However, the jury's deliberations lasted 3 hours and 48 minutes before reaching unanimous guilty verdicts.
How did the incident unfold?
On 23 May 2023, the three activists spent several hours in a field at Appleton Farm on the Sandringham estate, allowing the lambs to become accustomed to their presence. Once the animals drew close, they placed three lambs into a van and transported them to an undisclosed animal sanctuary. The lambs, which Animal Rising had named Sammy, Sunny and Sooty, were said by the group to have been destined for slaughter. The group also stated that it had attempted to rescue the mother sheep alongside the lambs, but said this was not possible.
The following day, on 24 May 2023, the women travelled to Windsor Castle, where they attempted to notify authorities about what they described as a "rescue" operation. They subsequently handed themselves in to Windsor Police Station and were charged with theft. The trial heard that they had said the reason for going to Windsor was that it is where the King lived.
What was the defence argument?
Throughout the trial, all three defendants detailed how their personal experiences had motivated them to become involved in animal rights activism, citing concerns about animal welfare and the environmental consequences of agricultural practices. Defence barrister Sarah-Jane Ewart, representing Sharkey, argued that the trio had acted "honestly" throughout their actions. She pointed to their decision to alert authorities at Windsor as evidence of this commitment to transparency.
"Honesty shines through in all of their conduct after the rescue," Ewart stated to the court.
What charges did the defendants face?
The three activists had initially been facing three counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and three counts of failing to record movement of an animal, but those charges were dropped before the trial concluded. This left the theft charges as the sole focus of the jury's deliberations.
What happens next?
The defendants were directed to meet with a probation service worker ahead of sentencing later on Thursday. The three activists were identified as Foy, of North Street, Alfreton, Derbyshire; Patterson, of Homerton High Street, London; and Sharkey, who previously lived at Mayville Estate in London but told the court she now resides in Brighton.
The lambs have never been recovered by authorities but have remained alive and well at an undisclosed sanctuary, according to evidence presented during the trial.
Key Facts
- Three animal rights activists were unanimously found guilty of theft on Thursday at Norwich Crown Court
- The incident occurred on 23 May 2023, when the trio removed three lambs from Appleton Farm at the Sandringham Estate
- The defendants maintained they rescued the animals and believed the King would have consented to their actions
- Initial charges of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and failing to record animal movement were dropped before trial
- The stolen lambs remain alive at an unknown sanctuary and have never been recovered by authorities
