Three animal rights activists have been found guilty of stealing three lambs from the King's Sandringham Estate. Rosa Sharkey, 26, Sarah Foy, 26, and Rose Patterson, 37, were unanimously convicted of theft by a jury at Norwich Crown Court.
Throughout their three-day trial, the members of campaign group Animal Rising stated they had rescued the animals in 2023. They also claimed to believe the King, as an "environmentalist", would have consented to their actions.
The court heard the theft occurred on 23 May 2023, when the trio spent hours at Appleton Farm in Sandringham before taking three lambs and transporting them to an unknown animal sanctuary. The women later travelled to Windsor Castle to alert authorities and subsequently handed themselves in to Windsor Police Station, where they were charged.
Sentencing for the three defendants is expected to take place later on Thursday.