A judge has ruled against James Howells’ legal attempt to recover a hard drive containing Bitcoin worth nearly $750 million, which he accidentally discarded in a landfill 10 years ago. Howells, 39, lost the valuable cryptocurrency in Newport, Wales, back in 2013 when he mistakenly threw away the drive.
In response to this loss, Howells has been offering different ways to recover the lost fortune for the last ten years. His most recent proposal entailed funding the entire excavation process and giving 25% of the recovered Bitcoin to the Newport City Council. The council turned down his offer, and that is when he took the council to court.
On Thursday Circuit Commercial Judge Keyser threw Howells’ suit out of the window stating he had “no reasonable grounds to bring this case” and has “no real prospect of succeeding,” he further found that the ruling was in support of the Council’s case to have it concluded that the council was lawfully entitled to hard drive, having no right which Howells did.
Howells, visibly disappointed by the decision, called it a “kick in the teeth” and expressed frustration that he was not given the chance to present his case in court. He lamented that his efforts to engage with the Newport City Council over the years had been met with indifference. “It’s not about greed I’m willing to share the proceeds,” he said, stressing that his attempts had been motivated by a desire for a fair dialogue.
The ruling is the latest in Howells’ long-running battle to recover his lost cryptocurrency, with no end in sight.
