Theft-accused trio 'made friends' with King's lambs

Three animal rights protesters accused of stealing lambs owned by King Charles spent several hours in a field so they could "make friends" with the sheep before taking them, a court has heard.

On the second day of a trial at Norwich Crown Court, the Animal Rising activists described how they "rescued" three lambs from a farm on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk in May 2023.

Rose Sharkey, 26, Rose Patterson, 37 and Sarah Foy, 26, all deny a charge of theft but admit taking the lambs to "save them from harm".

Sharkey told a jury she hoped their actions would open His Majesty's eyes to the "reality of sheep farming" by raising their concerns about animal welfare and environmental harm.

She visited Sandringham's Appleton Farm with Foy the week before the alleged, where they saw a female sheep with an injured leg and also a trough that was low on water on a warm day, the court heard.

The following week, the trio rented out an Airbnb, hired a van and all three of them returned to Sandringham.

On 23 May, the group arrived at the farm at 08:00 BST and spent several hours sat in the field, allowing the lambs to grow used to their presence and "make friends" with them, Patterson said

A lamb the group named Sooty was the first to approach when they returned in the afternoon.

Sharkey described the animal as having a "calm demeanour" and that it "nestled into my side, nibbled my finger" and did not make any attempt to bolt from the hired van.

The group said they had researched how to safely transport lambs before the incident and that a man, named Ben, drove the lambs to an unknown sanctuary which had veterinary care, the court heard.

Sharkey said she had grown up in a "sheep farming community" in Levens in Cumbria, said the group chose to take the lambs from Sandringham as they did not want to "vilify" farmers and because the lambs were not the King's primary source of income.

The protesters wanted to start conversations around animal welfare and the effect of agriculture on the environment, the court heard.

Sharkey added: "The King says he is an environmentalist and animal lover.

"The reality of sheep farming is quite hidden away - what they face in the slaughterhouse and the impact on the land are not things he would agree with," she said.

Images of the three sheep, taken at the sanctuary a year on, were shown to the jury.

Sharkey said she considered the rescue "successful" as the lambs are "still alive and well" and that she did not stand to gain personally from taking them.

Dingle Clark, prosecuting, asked the defendants whether they thought anyone who witnessed them taking the lambs would think they were stealing the sheep and had acted dishonestly.

When pressed on whether they had stolen the sheep, Patterson, who is the director of Animal Rising, defended the actions, insisting they had rescued them from a "dangerous situation".

"We tried to save as many lives as possible," she added.

Sharkey, of Mayville Estate, London; Patterson, of Homerton High Street, London and Foy, of North Street, Alfreton, Derbyshire have each denied one count of stealing three lambs from a farm in West Newton between 24 and 25 May, 2023.

The trial continues.

Do you have a story suggestion for Norfolk? Contact us below.

Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.