Guilty Verdict For King’s Sheep Rescuers In Theft Trial
After a four-day trial at Norwich Crown Court, Rose Patterson, Sarah Foy, and Rosa Sharkey have all been found guilty of theft after the rescue of three lambs from King Charles III’s Sandringham Estate in May 2023. Sentencing to follow today.
Despite the verdict, Animal Rising claims that the rescue and subsequent trial have helped to put a spotlight on the reality behind animal farming in the UK, with over 10 million sheep being slaughtered yearly [1].
The controversial rescue made front-page news across the UK and headlines around the world [2]. It captured the attention of the British public, questioning how we relate to animals in the food system and if it’s a rescue or a theft to take them from farms.
Animal Rising director Rose Patterson, alongside Rosa Sharkey and Sarah Foy, rescued the lambs - Sammy, Sunny and Sooty - before informing police the following day. The women held signs outside Windsor Castle reading “I rescued the King’s sheep” before reporting what they had done to police. They each face up to 7 years' imprisonment.
Earlier this year, Patterson was found not guilty by a jury over another Animal Rising open rescue, after helping to rescue beagle puppies from MBR Acres, a facility breeding animals for testing [3].
Animal Rising director Rose Patterson, one of the three defendants found guilty today, said:
“We are of course disappointed by the verdict today, but it doesn’t change how I feel about rescuing Sammy, Sunny and Sooty. We rescued them because we believed they deserved the chance of a long life, rather than having their lives cut short simply because they were being farmed for food. I don’t regret for a moment giving them that chance.
“Three years later, the lambs are now fully grown, living safely and happily. Had they been left behind that day, they would have been slaughtered after living just a fraction of the lives they could have had. Instead, they have had the chance to grow up and, we hope, grow old, just as we all deserve to.
“I have spent time with sheep in slaughterhouses in their final hours, knowing they would soon be killed, and I have reported breaches of animal welfare law only for nothing to be done.
“I remember feeling completely helpless, unable to do anything to save them. The systems that are supposed to protect animals are failing them. When I saw Sammy, Sunny and Sooty in that field, knowing what would await them, I felt compelled to act.
“The King is an animal lover, and I think he would actually be glad to see Sammy, Sunny and Sooty thriving today. I hope that if he considers the fate the lambs faced on his estate, he will recognise why we believed they deserved the chance at life that they now have.
“Today’s verdict shouldn’t distract us from what animals like sheep are put through in our farming system. Farmed animals are viewed very differently from the animals who share our homes, but sheep, cows and pigs experience fear and joy, and form bonds with one another too. They deserve so much more than a food system that treats them simply as units of production.
“I also hope the King recognises the wider impact of the farming practices taking place on his land. The King is known for his passion for the environment, but intensive sheep grazing is causing lasting damage to fragile ecosystems across the UK. Allowing it on his own estates undermines his own commitment to protecting nature.
“The King is in a unique position to show that moving away from animal agriculture is both possible and necessary. By removing it from his own estates, he could lead the way towards a kinder, more sustainable food system in Britain.”
Sammy, Sunny and Sooty remain safe and are now fully grown.
The trial followed a series of open-rescue trials relating to Animal Rising’s rescue of beagles from MBR Acres. In January this year, Animal Rising made history by securing the UK’s first-ever not-guilty verdict in an open-rescue case [4]. The lambs were rescued from Appleton Farm, which forms part of the Sandringham estate.
Defendants Patterson and Foy are available for comment or broadcast interview upon request.
For further information, comment, or to arrange an interview, please email press@animalrising.org or call +44 1225 29 6691
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Notes to editors:
About The Defendants
Rose Patterson, 37, is the Director of Animal Rising. An advocate for animals since 2012, she holds an MSc in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics, and Law and previously worked with World Animal Protection before joining Animal Rising in 2020.
Sarah Foy, 26, has been involved in a range of campaigns advocating for a just and sustainable food system that works for animals, farmers, and the planet. She brings a practical, hands-on approach to her advocacy, with real-world experience caring for rescued farm animals at sanctuaries and protesting alongside farmers.
Rosa Sharkey, 26, is a food charity worker. She is passionately committed to reducing the impact of our food system on the climate crisis, community action, and animal rights.
About Animal Rising
Animal Rising is a nonviolent campaign group working to fundamentally transform our relationship with animals and nature, and build a more sustainable future for animals, people and the planet. Animal Rising is calling on the Government to end factory farming by 2040 and support a transition to a sustainable plant-based food system.
The group has used a variety of civil disobedience and nonviolent direct action tactics, notably blockading McDonald's distribution centres in May 2021, blockading dairy industry sites in September 2022, disrupting the 2023 Grand National, rescuing lambs belonging to King Charles III in May 2023, and carrying out the UK’s largest undercover farm investigation in 2024.
Earlier this month, Animal Rising released first-of-its-kind hidden-camera footage following a mother pig through a month of confinement in a farrowing crate on a factory farm. This month, their campaign lead Michelle Farnham spent 24 hours a day inside a real pig farrowing crate in Trafalgar Square as part of a 21-day public installation calling for an end to factory farming.
About Open Rescue
Open Rescue is a means of rescuing animals from suffering and captivity inside laboratories, breeding facilities, and industrial farms that does not hide the identity of the rescuing humans, who will hand themselves in to the police once the animals have been taken to safety. It was introduced as a tactic by Animals Victoria in Australia to show nonviolence and transparent tactics by those taking action for animals.
In the context of the UK, the open rescue tactic is an attempt to create strong case law foundations to give a legal basis for the rescue of animals from animal testing, farms, or other industries. The potential legal ramifications of trial outcomes could force large-scale changes to UK law.
