TLDR
British IT worker James Howells lost his bid to recover a hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoin (worth $740 million) from a Welsh landfill
The hard drive was accidentally thrown away in 2013 during a household clearout
Judge Keyser KC dismissed the case, stating there were no “reasonable grounds” for success
Newport City Council has consistently denied access to the landfill citing environmental concerns
The lost Bitcoin, mined in 2009, was worth $1.3 million when lost and would now be worth $740 million with Bitcoin recently hitting $108,000
The decade-long quest to recover a hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoin from a Welsh landfill has hit a dead end after a UK judge dismissed the case on January 10, 2025. James Howells, who accidentally threw away the drive in 2013, had sued Newport City Council for $646 million in damages after being repeatedly denied permission to search the landfill.
In 2013, during a routine household cleanup, Howells made a costly mistake. He had two identical hard drives – one blank and one containing Bitcoin he had mined in 2009. The wrong drive ended up in a black garbage bag, which his girlfriend then took to the local dump. At the time of disposal, the Bitcoin was worth approximately $1.3 million.
The hard drive’s location has been identified as Cell 2, Area 2 of the Docksway landfill in Newport, Wales. Despite this knowledge, Newport City Council has consistently refused to allow any recovery attempts, citing potential environmental impacts from excavation.
Howells has spent the past 12 years trying to convince local authorities to permit a search operation. He developed detailed plans for safely excavating the site and even offered to modernize the landfill facilities as part of the recovery effort.
The IT professional’s legal team argued that recovering just 10% of the Bitcoin could bring substantial benefits to the local community. However, these arguments failed to sway either the council or the court.
Judge Keyser KC, serving as the Circuit Commercial Judge for Wales, ruled that the case had no “reasonable grounds” for success at a full trial. The decision deals a major blow to Howells’ hopes of recovering his lost cryptocurrency fortune.
Upon hearing the verdict, Howells expressed his disappointment, stating “it’s the great British justice system striking again.” He described feeling “very upset” about the outcome after years of attempted engagement with the council.
The timing of the court decision is particularly painful for Howells, as it comes just weeks after Bitcoin reached new heights. The cryptocurrency recently broke through the $100,000 barrier for the first time, climbing to an all-time high above $108,000 in December 2024.
The value of Howells’ lost Bitcoin has grown dramatically since 2013. From an initial worth of $1.3 million when lost, the 8,000 Bitcoin would now be valued at approximately $740 million at current market prices.
Throughout the years, Howells has attempted various approaches to gain access to the landfill. He developed comprehensive plans for the search operation and offered to share potential recovery proceeds with the local community.
The Newport City Council has maintained its position throughout the dispute, consistently citing environmental concerns as the primary reason for denying access to the landfill site.
Court documents confirm the specific location of the hard drive within the Docksway landfill, but this information alone proved insufficient to convince the judge of the case’s merit.
Despite presenting plans for safe excavation and landfill modernization, Howells’ proposals failed to overcome the environmental protection concerns raised by local authorities.
The case highlights the challenges of recovering lost digital assets, especially when physical storage devices end up in public waste management facilities.
The court’s January 2025 ruling appears to mark the end of Howells’ legal options for recovering the hard drive, leaving the $740 million in Bitcoin likely permanently lost in the Welsh landfill.
