A UK man’s long-standing attempt to recover a hard drive containing private keys to 8,000 Bitcoin—now worth approximately $660 million—has suffered another setback. The UK Court of Appeal rejected his request to search a landfill.
“Appeal request to the Royal Court of Appeal: refused,” James Howells, an early Bitcoin adopter, confirmed the decision in a 14 March 2025 post on X.
“The Great British Injustice System strikes again,” he wrote. “The state always protects the state.”
He added that his next legal move would be to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
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Court Dismisses Appeal Over “No Real Prospect of Success”
Judge Christopher Nugee of the UK Court of Appeal ruled against Howells. He said that his case had “no real prospect of success” and that there was “no other compelling reason” to hear the appeal.
This follows an earlier ruling on 9 January 2025 by High Court Judge Andrew Keyser. Similarly, he dismissed Howells’ case arguing that it had no realistic chance of succeeding in a full trial.
Howells, however, remains determined to pursue legal action. In a statement to Cointelegraph, he said his “last legal option” is to appeal to the ECHR. He plans to argue that UK courts have violated his right to property and right to a fair trial under Article 1 of Protocol 1 and Article 6 of the ECHR.
While the ECHR cannot overturn UK court decisions, a favorable ruling could push UK courts to reconsider whether their interpretation of the law aligns with European human rights standards.
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
The legal fight stems from repeated refusals by Newport City Council. It has denied Howells permission to excavate the Docksway landfill, where his hard drive was accidentally discarded in 2013.
At the time, Bitcoin was a fraction of its current value, and few anticipated its meteoric rise.
Despite his persistence, time is running out. The Docksway landfill is set to shut down sometime during the UK’s 2025-2026 financial year, according to a BBC News report.
If the site is permanently closed before Howells gains permission to search for his hard drive, his chances of recovering the Bitcoin could be lost forever.
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UK FCA Rejects 90% of Crypto Firms Seeking Registration
Reportedly, nearly 90% of cryptocurrency firms applying for registration in the UK over the past year have been turned down by the FCA.
The high rejection rate stems from the firms’ failure to meet necessary standards, particularly in areas related to fraud prevention and anti-money laundering protocols. The FCA revealed that only four of the 35 crypto firm applications submitted in the last 12 months were approved.
The UK has increased regulatory scrutiny on the cryptocurrency sector. This move was followed by several high-profile bankruptcies last year. Last year, the FCA introduced new regulations requiring all crypto firms to register with the financial watchdog.
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Key Takeaways
- The UK Court of Appeal rejected James Howells’ bid to recover a hard drive holding 8,000 Bitcoin from a landfill.
- Howells plans to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights, arguing that UK courts violated his property rights.
- Time is running out, as the landfill where the hard drive is buried is set to close during the UK’s 2025-2026 financial year.
The post UK Court Rejects Man’s Bid To Recover 8,000 Bitcoin From Landfill appeared first on 99Bitcoins.
