Three Animal Rising Activists Found Guilty of Stealing King's Lambs From Sandringham Estate
Three animal rights activists have been convicted of stealing three lambs from King Charles III’s Sandringham Estate, in a case that has sharpened tensions over direct-action protests and the treatment of farm animals.
Rosa Sharkey, 26, Sarah Foy, 26, and Rose Patterson, 37, had denied theft and insisted they rescued the lambs in 2023. After a three-day trial at Norwich Crown Court, a jury of five men and seven women unanimously found all three guilty. Sentencing was expected later Thursday.
The defendants are members of Animal Rising, a campaign group whose tactics have drawn attention and controversy. During the trial, they argued they believed the King “would have consented to their rescue” because of his environmentalist stance.
The theft occurred on May 23, 2023, at Appleton Farm in Sandringham. Prosecutors said the trio spent hours in a field so the sheep would become accustomed to them, then took three lambs and placed them in a van after the animals approached. The lambs were driven to an unknown animal sanctuary, the court heard.
The following day, the women traveled to Windsor Castle, where they tried to alert authorities to what they described as a “rescue.” They later turned themselves in at Windsor Police Station and were charged with theft. Videos of the group taking the lambs were shared on social media.
Earlier Thursday, defense barrister Sarah-Jane Ewart, representing Sharkey, said the trio had acted “honestly” throughout. She pointed to their attempt to notify authorities at Windsor as evidence. “Honesty shines through in all of their conduct after the rescue,” Ewart said.
All three defendants told the court their personal experiences had drawn them into animal rights activism, citing concerns about animal welfare and the environmental impact of agriculture.
The lambs have never been recovered by authorities, but the court heard they remained alive and well at an unknown sanctuary.
The defendants were Foy, of North Street, Alfreton, Derbyshire; Patterson, of Homerton High Street, London; and Sharkey, previously of Mayville Estate, London, who told the court she now lives in Brighton.
The verdict is likely to fuel ongoing debate about the boundary between protest and property crime, particularly when activists target symbols tied to the royal family and rural life. It also underscores how environmental arguments are increasingly being invoked in animal rights cases—sometimes in court, and often in the public arena.
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HM Courts & Tribunal Service