Judge Stops James Howell from Bitcoin Landfill Retrieval in Wales

Judge Stops James Howell from Bitcoin Landfill Retrieval in Wales


Good day everyone,

I hope you are all having a good day, welcome to CryptoGod-1's blog on all things crypto. In this post I will be looking at the news from last week when a Judge in Wales blocked the legal attempts of James Howell to retrieve his lost Bitcoin from a landfill.

 

 

Judge Stops James Howell from Bitcoin Landfill Retrieval

An IT engineer from Newport, Wales, known as James Howell, has recently lost his decade long battle to attempt to retrieve a lost hard drive from a landfill which contains 8,000 Bitcoin. James Howell, now 39, had launched a legal battle in an attempt to force Newport city council to allow him to search the landfill to retrieve a lost hard drive containing the bitcoins. Currently valued at around $800 million at the time of writing, with Bitcoin valued at $101,500, the Bitcoin was worth around $4 million at the time it was discarded in 2013.

Judge Keyser KC said there were no "reasonable grounds" for bringing the claim and "no realistic prospect" of succeeding at a full trial as Howell had looked for access to the landfill site, which reportedly holds 1.4 million tonnes of waste, or be compensated the sum of £495m ($604m). The Judge stated:

 

“I consider that the particulars of the claim do not show any reasonable grounds for bringing this case. I also consider that the claim would have 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.”

 

The private key of Mr. Howells Bitcoin, a digital key used to access the coins, was stored on his computer's hard drive. However he eventually removed this when he upgraded his PC but retained the hard drive in a drawer in his desk. In 2013 his partner accidentally threw the hard drive away meaning the vast sum he has saved during the early days of Bitcoin was lost to the Docksway Landfill.

Mr. Howell petitioned Newport council to grant him access to the site but they refused on the grounds the excavation was "not possible" under its licencing permit and "excavation itself would have a huge environmental impact on the surrounding area". Following his attempt in court and the recent dismissal of his case by Judge Keyser KC, Howell stated:

 

"The case being struck out at the earliest hearing doesn't even give me the opportunity to explain myself or an opportunity for justice in any shape or form. There was so much more that could have been explained in a full trial and that's what I was expecting."

 

Previously Mr. Howell had stated his continued attempts to engage with the council regarding the hard drive. He had previously offered the council 25% of the value of the coins to be used on local community projects, but said he had now reduced his offer to 10% back in November 2024. While the landfill holds a vast amount of waste, reportedly up to 1.4 million tonnes, Mr. Howell believes he had narrowed its location down to area consisting of 100,000 tonnes.

The decision of the judge aligns with the council's arguments that they are now the owners of the hard drive and all the possessions within the landfill. Mr. Howell added he had "been trying to engage with Newport City Council in every way which is humanly possible for the past 12 years" and to now be told he was out of time felt like "a kick in the teeth". He stated:

 

"It's not about greed, I'm happy to share the proceeds but nobody in a position of power will have a decent conversation with me. This ruling has taken everything from me and left me with nothing. It's the great British injustice system striking again."

 

 

 

Have a great day.

Peace. CryptoGod-1.

 

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cryptogod-1
cryptogod-1

Writer, designer, creator, and life enthusiast. I love to read and write and enjoy sharing my passion for crypto, sports, literature and everything and anything I can enjoy in life.


CryptoGod-1 : Crypto & Blockchain
CryptoGod-1 : Crypto & Blockchain

Enthusiast here looking to share my ideas, thoughts, analysis, and experience when it comes to all things crypto

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