Three animal rights activists have been found guilty of the theft of three lambs from the King’s Sandringham Estate.

They argued they had not acted dishonestly, but they were found guilty of theft following a trial at Norwich Crown Court.

The jury took three hours and 48 minutes to deliberate before reaching their unanimous verdicts on Thursday.

Sharkey said in evidence that a van driver, who was not on trial, took the three sheep to a sanctuary after the theft in 2023.

Defence barrister Sarah-Jane Ewart said Sharkey was someone who ‘cares deeply’ about the climate and animal rights, and ‘just wanted to rescue animals and spark conversation with someone powerful, the King’.

Patterson, who represented herself, said in her closing speech that she had been inside a slaughterhouse and had ‘heard the animals’ screams’.

She said she believed the King would have consented to them taking the lambs from the field, adding: ‘He wouldn’t want his lambs sent to a slaughterhouse that’s violating the law.’

The judge, Anthony Bate, said as the three defendants listened from the back row of seats in the well of the court: ‘I have in mind a community order and some unpaid work.’

They were instructed to speak to a worker from the probation service and could be sentenced later on Thursday afternoon.

The following day the three women went to Windsor Castle to try to tell police there what they had done.

They went to Windsor police station after armed officers outside the royal residence did not engage with them.

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