King’s sheep rescuers face trial over alleged theft of Sandringham lambs
Three animal rights campaigners who openly rescued three lambs from the King’s Sandringham Estate are due to stand trial accused of theft.
Animal Rising director Rose Patterson, Rosa Sharkey and Sarah Foy will appear at Norwich Crown Court on Monday, September 21, following the removal of the animals from Appleton Farm in May 2023.
The lambs, named Sammy, Sunny and Sooty, were taken from the farm, which forms part of the Sandringham estate, before the women handed themselves in to police the following day.
They stood outside Windsor Castle holding signs reading “I rescued the King’s sheep” before reporting what they had done.
The controversial rescue made front-page news across the UK and generated headlines around the world, prompting debate about whether taking animals from farms should be considered rescue or theft.
All three defendants acknowledge deliberately rescuing and removing the lambs but have pleaded not guilty to theft.
Their defence centres on the absence of dishonesty. They maintain that they acted because they believed rescuing the lambs was the morally and lawfully right thing to do, giving them the chance of safety and a long life rather than seeing them sent to slaughter.
The women documented the rescue and subsequently handed themselves in to police.
If convicted, they each face up to seven years in prison.
Sammy, Sunny and Sooty remain safe and are now fully grown.
The trial follows a series of open-rescue cases relating to Animal Rising’s removal of beagles from MBR Acres, a facility breeding animals for testing.
Earlier this year, Patterson was found not guilty by a jury after helping to rescue beagle puppies from the Cambridgeshire facility.
In January, Animal Rising secured what the organisation described as the UK’s first-ever not-guilty verdict in an open-rescue case. The Sandringham defendants hope to build on that precedent.
Patterson, who has advocated for animals since 2012, holds an MSc in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics, and Law. She previously worked with World Animal Protection before joining Animal Rising in 2020.
Foy has been involved in campaigns advocating for a just and sustainable food system that works for animals, farmers and the planet. She also has experience caring for rescued farm animals at sanctuaries and protesting alongside farmers.
Sharkey is a food charity worker who campaigns on animal rights, community action and reducing the impact of the food system on the climate crisis.
Open rescue involves removing animals from laboratories, breeding facilities or industrial farms without concealing the identities of those involved. Campaigners then hand themselves in to police once the animals have been taken to safety.
The tactic was introduced by Animals Victoria in Australia to demonstrate transparency and nonviolence among people taking action for animals.
In the UK, campaigners hope open-rescue cases will establish legal foundations for the removal of animals from testing facilities, farms and other industries.
Animal Rising, formerly known as Animal Rebellion, launched in 2019 as a sister organisation to Extinction Rebellion. It campaigns against animal farming and fishing and calls for the Government to support a transition towards a plant-based food system.
Its previous actions have included blockading McDonald’s distribution centres in May 2021, targeting dairy industry sites in September 2022, disrupting the 2023 Grand National and carrying out what it described as the UK’s largest undercover farm investigation in 2024.
Earlier this month, the group released hidden-camera footage following a mother pig through a month of confinement in a farrowing crate on a factory farm.
Campaign lead Michelle Farnham is also spending 24 hours a day inside a pig farrowing crate in Trafalgar Square as part of a 21-day public installation calling for an end to factory farming.
