Another obstacle has arisen in the years-long struggle of a British man to retrieve a misplaced hard disk, including 8,000 Bitcoin. James Howells, who threw the gadget away in 2013, was once again denied permission to investigate a landfill where he thinks the drive is buried. The UK Court of Appeal recently denied his plea, stating that there was no compelling reason to continue investigating the matter.
Using social media to vent his annoyance, Howells called the ruling an instance of systematic injustice. Declared not to give up, he said he will now present his case before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). He plans to question the decisions on those grounds since he thinks the UK courts have breached his right to property and a fair trial.
This latest denial comes after earlier court decisions, including a January High Court order concluding his case improbable to succeed. Howells has tried several times but has not been able to enter the Newport City Council-owned landfill site. Citing environmental issues and the intended reconstruction of the site into a solar energy station by 2026, officials have regularly denied his excavation requests.
Appeal request to the Royal Court of Appeal: refused
— James Howells (@howelzy) March 14, 2025
The Great British Injustice System strikes again…
The state always protects the state.
Next stop: ECHR pic.twitter.com/KFYRSbsEPo
Originally only a fraction of its present worth when thrown away, the lost Bitcoin has become a giant fortune, today valued at around $660 million. Authorities remain unimpressed even though Howells has made many offers to finance an excavation and promised some of the recovered money to local projects.
Although going to the ECHR offers a fresh legal path, it is not certain he will be able to find the landfill. Should the court find in his favor, UK authorities would only be obliged to review their decision rather than provide him direct access to the site.
Time is running out before the landfill closes permanently; hence, Howells’ struggle to recover his lost wealth approaches a turning point. Despite the potential failure of his last legal attempt, his Bitcoin remains buried beneath layers of trash, potentially irretrievably lost.
