A British High Court judge rejected IT specialist James Howells when he attempted to recover $739 million worth of 7,500 Bitcoin (BTC) from the Newport Wales landfill.
The Court applied UK waste disposal legislation to establish that Newport City Council became the owner of the discarded hard drive in 2013.
The High Court Judge Andrew John Keyser KC declared that:
“There are no reasonable grounds for bringing this claim and no realistic prospect of succeeding if it went to trial and that there is no other compelling reason why it should be disposed of at trial.”
Background: The Lost Bitcoin Fortune
The early Bitcoin miner James Howells discarded the hard drive containing Bitcoin which he mined over a decade ago. Bitcoin had little value during its early existence, but today, the discarded BTC worth hundreds of millions of dollars belongs to Howells.
The realization of his error caused Howells to engage in constant efforts to gain council permission to dig at the Docksway Landfill to search for the hard drive. The council received two generous offers from Howells as he proposed to fund the operation in full and offer them 25% of recovered Bitcoin assets.
Legal and Environmental Concerns
The Court agreed with Newport City Council’s position that landfill contents belonged to the city while any excavation would carry substantial environmental damage and health risks. The waste management regulations combined with site permits specifically restrict all excavation work and digging activities there.
Howells faced additional problems with his legal case because he submitted his lawsuit after 2024 which surpassed UK laws allowing such claims within six years.
Howells’ Response and Next Steps
After the court decision Howells showed dissatisfaction because he believed the trial denied him adequate opportunity to showcase his evidence. Despite all his struggles, he continues to fight.
Research gathered about a potential closure of the landfill site prompted Howells to suggest a different strategy.
“It was quite a surprise to hear about the impending closure [of the landfill]. If Newport city council would be willing, I would potentially be interested in purchasing the landfill site ‘as is’ and have discussed this option with investment partners, and it is something that is very much on the table.”
Final Verdict
The legal and environmental regulations proved fundamental to the ruling which prevented recovery of the valuable Bitcoin stash. The Bitcoin treasure obtained by Howells has no chance of retrieval unless he manages to acquire ownership of the site.
