Activists found guilty of stealing King Charles’s lambs launch appeal for funds
Three women activists were accused of stealing King Charles’s lambs from his Sandringham Estate
Three activists found guilty of the theft of King Charles's lambs from his Sandringham Estate have begun crowdfunding to cover their legal costs.
A jury of five men and seven women unanimously found Rosa Sharkey, Sarah Foy, and Rose Patterson guilty of stealing three lambs from the king.
Animal Rising group had admitted to taking the sheep, but denied theft because the King "would have consented to the lambs' rescue", insisting that the daring operation "wasn't a stunt - it was a rescue."
The group's full message on their crowdfunding page reads: "Hi, I'm Sarah, one of the three rescuers who in 2023 saved the lives of three lambs we named Sammy, Sunny and Sooty.
"We rescued them from King Charles' Sandringham Estate and saved them from being sent to slaughter.
"We did this to not only to save their lives but to shine a spotlight on how we treat and use animals in this country.
"We knew they would imminently be sent to slaughter, and this is why we rescued them, but even when we went to the field, we found them left with no water or shade on a very hot and sunny day. We knew what had to be done.
"Last week, we were on trial for the 'theft' of these three lambs. We all told the jury how we came to rescue these sheep, our motivations, and what happened on the day, but ultimately, we were found guilty.
"We were all sentenced to 150 hours of community service and a £250 fine with a £114 victim surcharge, totalling £1,092 between us.
"Any extra money raised will be donated to Animal Rising to fund current and future campaigns to save more animals like Sammy, Sunny and Sooty."
