Norfolk tech magnate alleges deer murders as robotics venture scales

A reclusive tech entrepreneur who moved into a bungalow on a disused RAF radar base in rural Norfolk says his herd of rescue deer has been targeted by a stalker, claiming several animals were shot and later died. William Sachiti, 42, founder of a robotics company that operates from the Neatishead site, has described what he calls a personal hate campaign against him as both a safety concern and a livid personal vendetta. Police have said they were unable to identify a suspect in their inquiries, and there is no independent confirmation of who carried out the shootings or when the incidents began. Sachiti’s account links the animal deaths to online messages and racist abuse he says were directed at him and his staff.

The base, once a key part of the UK’s air-defence network, was bought from the Ministry of Defence in 2022. Sachiti has since converted part of the site into a personal nature reserve and transformed adjacent facilities into a hub for his robotics ventures. The ranch-style grounds now host a herd that began as 16 deer rescued from culls in Scotland in 2023; Sachiti says the herd has since grown to about 34, with some deer breeding on the grounds. He attributes the deaths of five deer in March to gunshot wounds sustained from an air rifle, saying the incidents were followed by online posts showing a deer carcass and insinuations of neglect. He told the Daily Mail that a veterinarian examined the wounded animals, but all died within weeks despite intervention, and he believes a known stalker—a man who has hurled racist abuse and accused him of misusing investor funds—planned the harm as a means to frighten him.

The dispute comes as Sachiti’s long-running ambitions in autonomous robotics continue to take shape. The entrepreneur rose to public attention after appearing on Dragon’s Den in 2009 and later establishing the Academy of Robotics. His company has attracted government and private investment, including a £1 million grant from the British Business Bank and backing from private backers. The firm is pursuing driverless delivery vehicles and a penguin-shaped robot designed to transport medications within NHS hospital wards. Sachiti has described the Neatishead site as a strategic base for development, including a bunker that doubles as a nuclear shelter and a surrounding landscape that he says doubles as a living testbed for his technology.

The site’s history is unique: a segment of the base was retained by the MOD and now houses a new “golf-ball style” radar system intended to replace an older coastal scanner that had been threatened by erosion. The radar project is part of a broader plan to showcase cutting-edge hardware and test autonomous systems in a real-world setting. Sachiti has floated the idea of using some of the base’s facilities for production once supply chains are in place, with proposals to assemble Kar-go vehicles on site and to push a showroom concept in central London as a demonstration platform for both the autonomous car and the hospital-delivery robot. In parallel, the company has explored pilots delivering tools and supplies in other locations to validate driverless performance.

Local neighbors describe Sachiti as a well-known, if highly private, figure. Some residents say he is courteous but keeps to himself, rarely seen outside his bungalow. One neighbor noted that the deer numbers have drawn curiosity but little direct interference, while another said a deer wandered onto a nearby road and was guided back onto the property by a passerby. The RAF Neatishead site sits next to a regional museum and continues to be a talking point for the town of Neatishead and the surrounding district, which has historically prided itself on preserving local aviation heritage while accommodating new business ventures.

Parliament has publicly praised elements of Sachiti’s move into the area, with former North Norfolk MP Duncan Baker describing him as a serial entrepreneur and his company as “the closest thing we have to Tesla in the UK.” Officials have acknowledged that the integration of a high-tech operation on a former military site is a notable development for local industry and employment. Yet the deer controversy has cast a shadow over the project’s public image, with critics urging clarity on animal welfare and safety implications, and with law enforcement continuing to review the incidents without identifying a perpetrator.

Sachiti’s wider ambitions include bringing his autonomous delivery platforms to market at an estimated price point of about £26,000 per unit, contingent on finalizing supply chains for components. He has suggested that the penguin-shaped robot could be offered to hospital trusts for about £500 per month for on-site medicine delivery, and he has spoken of a London showroom to display both products within months. He also indicated that an AI subsidiary would expand its staff and that production would increasingly pull personnel back to RAF Neatishead. In the near term, however, he remains based largely in his bungalow, relying on a dedicated office space with a large screen as the central hub of his operations.

The local and national responses to Sachiti’s base and its activities remain mixed. Some officials have highlighted the project’s potential to catalyze innovation and regional development, while residents and observers continue to monitor the deer situation for signs of improved welfare and safety on the grounds. Norfolk Police have conducted inquiries into the deer deaths but have not publicly identified a suspect or established a clear motive tied to the stalking allegations. The Daily Mail—citing an August site tour with Sachiti—reported the ongoing presence of animal remains on the grounds, with some carcasses described as decaying and left on the grass; the paper noted that investigators had not linked the deaths to any individual. Sachiti disputes the assertion that all deer are healthy and well cared for, stating that the herd receives regular veterinary attention and that conflicts have kept some staff at a distance.

As Sachiti presses ahead with his technology ambitions, the question for Neatishead and the wider technology community remains whether a privately run, highly visible robotics program can coexist with local concerns about safety, animal welfare, and the privacy of a private resident who has become something of a public figure. The situation illustrates the evolving tension between ambitious tech entrepreneurship and the neighborhoods that host their experiments, especially when those experiments unfold on sites with strategic defense histories and potential national security implications.