Tech tycoon alleges deer killings at Norfolk RAF base tied to stalker amid harassment claims

A reclusive technology entrepreneur who runs a robotics company from a former RAF radar base in Norfolk says he is the target of a personal hate campaign that has culminated in the deaths of several of his deer. Neatishead, a village near the Norfolk coast, has become an unlikely stage for the complex mix of innovation and wildlife stewardship led by William Sachiti, 42, who moved onto the disused RAF Neatishead radar site about three years ago. He bought the site from the Ministry of Defence in 2022 and has since built what he describes as a personal nature reserve, bringing in a herd of deer and entertaining plans for flamingos and zebras roaming the grounds. On the ground, residents have mostly accepted his presence, but his three years there have been shadowed by a claim of a malicious, personal campaign against him that he says has extended to the deaths of his pets.

Sachiti says a stalker has attacked him with racist abuse, false accusations of con artistry, and targeted his staff, repeatedly telling him to “go back to Africa.” He says the harassment culminated in the shooting of five of his red and fallow deer with a high-powered air rifle in March, with several animals dying from their injuries. He has posted messages and photos online linking the death of at least one deer to the alleged harasser. Police investigations into the incidents have not identified a suspect. A Daily Mail tour of the site in August described the discovery of a deer carcass and, on a return visit, the presence of two additional decaying animals on the grass—details verified by the paper but not independently confirmed by authorities.

Sachiti, who appeared on Dragon’s Den in 2009 but was rejected by all four investors, built his robotics business in 2017 and has since attracted a £1 million government-backed grant via the British Business Bank, along with private investment. His company, the Academy of Robotics, is pursuing driverless delivery vehicles and penguin-shaped robots intended to deliver medications in NHS hospital wards. He has described the base at Neatishead as a strategic choice—an underground bunker that doubles as a nuclear shelter and a place to live, while a modern radar installation—replacing a former coastal scanner—spans part of the surrounding site.

The venture’s commercial ambitions include manufacturing the Kar-go autonomous delivery vehicle, a zero-emissions prototype shown at public events years ago. Sachiti has said production could begin at the Neatishead site, with plans to assemble units for about £26,000 once supply chains are finalized, and to rent penguin-shaped robots to hospitals for about £500 a month. Tests of Kar-go have taken place at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where the vehicle reportedly delivered tools and equipment to personnel.

Despite the focus on technology, the Norfolk base has drawn questions about planning and land use. North Norfolk District Council has told Sachiti he must apply for permission to change the use of the building from residential to mixed use. Neatishead residents offered cautious opinions: some describe him as courteous but eccentric, a private figure who is rarely seen outside, while others note the deer and speculate about the site’s activities. Local commentary has generally been tempered by a sense that the base is not simply a private outpost but part of a broader rural landscape.

Parliament has weighed in at times, with former North Norfolk MP Duncan Baker praising Sachiti as a “serial entrepreneur” and saying his company represents “the closest thing we have to Tesla in the UK.” The same profile notes Sachiti’s broader ambitions, including a plan to revive the radar system at the site to search for unidentified flying objects as a side project. That idea sits alongside his goal of expanding wildlife on the property, including the earlier aspiration to rescue animals from conflict zones—an effort that yielded approximately 16 deer brought from Scotland in 2023 after veterinary approval.

The deer population at Neatishead has since grown to around 34, according to Sachiti, with male and female deer living on the grounds and feeding on the site’s grass and vegetation. He contends the animals are well cared for and receive veterinary attention when needed, though he has acknowledged staff safety concerns and some employees choosing to work elsewhere in light of the alleged harassment. He attributes at least some of the strain to a broader dispute with his critics and investors, describing the harassment as an attempt to undermine his business and personal life.

Authorities have pursued inquiries into the deer deaths but have not publicly identified a suspect. The Daily Mail report cited by several outlets described the body of a deer found on-site during a tour of the base, along with subsequent observations of decaying remains, while emphasising that investigators had not established who was responsible. Sachiti has urged action, saying the incidents create an unsafe environment for his team and for the staff who operate within the base’s confines. He has urged law enforcement to consider the possibility that the killings are connected to the harassment campaign he says he has endured since moving to Neatishead.

In parallel with his wildlife ambitions, Sachiti continues to promote his AI-driven robotics roadmap. He contends that Kar-go’s vision system and learning capabilities could eventually revolutionize last-mile logistics for private campuses and industrial parks, even as the vehicle remains outside full UK road use. He has also cited projects to deliver medicines via robot platforms in hospital settings and to pilot showroom ventures in London as steps toward commercial viability. Critics note the gap between prototype demonstrations and mass production remains wide, but supporters point to the potential for innovation in autonomous systems and hospital robotics—as well as in the broader discourse around rural tech hubs in the UK.

The case illustrates the tension between high-tech aspiration and local life in rural England. On one hand, Sachiti’s work has drawn praise from policymakers and some business leaders who view him as a pioneering risk-taker. On the other, the violence claims tied to his deer herd and the lack of a resolved police finding highlight ongoing concerns about safety and the impact of personal disputes on a high-profile entrepreneur’s operations. As investigators review the case and Sachiti presses ahead with his business plans, Neatishead’s unusual fusion of innovation and wildlife preservation is unlikely to disappear from the regional conversation anytime soon.