James Howells lost a hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoin (worth around £769m) in a Welsh landfill in 2013
His appeal against Newport City Council was rejected by the UK Court of Appeal
Judge Christopher Nugee ruled there was “no real prospect of success” for his case
Howells plans to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)
The Docksway landfill where the hard drive is believed to be located is set to close in 2025-2026
James Howells, the UK man who lost a hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoin in a Welsh landfill, has had his appeal rejected by the UK Court of Appeal. This latest setback comes after years of trying to gain permission to search the landfill site where he believes his valuable hard drive remains buried.
The hard drive was accidentally thrown away by Howells’ ex-partner in 2013. At current prices, the 8,000 Bitcoin stored on it are worth approximately £769 million ($660 million).
Lord Justice Christopher Nugee denied Howells’ appeal in court documents released on March 14. The judge stated there was “no real prospect of success” and “no other compelling reason why the appeal should be heard.”
Appeal request to the Royal Court of Appeal: refused
The Great British Injustice System strikes again…
The state always protects the state.
Next stop: ECHR pic.twitter.com/KFYRSbsEPo
— James Howells (@howelzy) March 14, 2025
This ruling marks the second unsuccessful attempt by Howells to use UK courts to force Newport City Council to allow him to search the Docksway landfill. His previous case was rejected by the High Court in January.
Judge Andrew Keyser had previously dismissed the case, saying there was “no realistic prospect” of Howells succeeding at a full trial. The Newport City Council has repeatedly denied Howells permission to search the landfill site.
Nugee also refused permission for Howells to appeal to the Supreme Court. This effectively ends Howells’ options within the UK legal system.
Howells has now announced plans to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). He claims that both the UK High Court and Court of Appeal breached his rights during recent proceedings.
“The only legal option left to me is to apply to the ECHR with a claim that my A1P1 – right to property – and AA6 – Right to Fair Trial – have been breached,” Howells stated after the ruling.
He expressed frustration with the UK legal system, writing on social media: “The Great British Injustice System strikes again… The state always protects the state.”
The ECHR cannot overrule UK court decisions directly. However, a ruling in Howells’ favor would call on UK courts to reconsider whether legislation was interpreted compatibly with ECHR provisions.
Howells plans to file his claim to the ECHR in the coming weeks. He remains determined despite the repeated setbacks, stating: “The British establishment wants to sweep this under the carpet and I will not let them. It will not go away – no matter how long it takes.”
Time may be running out for Howells’ search efforts. According to BBC News, the Docksway landfill is scheduled to close during the UK’s 2025-2026 financial year.
In February, reports emerged that Howells had assembled a group of investors willing to buy the landfill from Newport City Council. This represents another potential avenue for Howells to gain access to the site.
The case highlights the risks of self-custodied cryptocurrency storage. Few predicted Bitcoin would reach such high values when Howells lost his hard drive in 2013.
Newport City Council has maintained that searching the landfill would impact what they consider a critical piece of local infrastructure. This stance has remained unchanged despite Howells’ continued legal efforts.
Howells, an IT worker and early Bitcoin adopter, told City AM that his legal bid was about “proving a point.” He continues to believe his hard drive can be recovered from the landfill site.
