UK Court Blocks Man’s Final Appeal to Search Landfill with $660M BTC

A UK man’s desperate attempt to recover a hard drive holding 8,000 Bitcoin—now worth around $660 million—has hit another legal dead end. On March 14, James Howells revealed that the UK Court of Appeals denied his request to search a landfill where the drive is believed to be buried.

“Appeal request to the Royal Court of Appeal: refused,” Howells posted on X, calling the decision an example of “The Great British Injustice System.” He criticized the courts for protecting government interests over individual rights and vowed to escalate the case to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The latest rejection came from Judge Christopher Nugee, who ruled there was “no real prospect of success” and no compelling reason to grant the appeal. This follows an earlier dismissal by High Court Judge Andrew Keyser on January 9, who also concluded that Howells had no realistic chance of winning.

Last Chance at the European Court of Human Rights

With all UK legal avenues exhausted, Howells plans to argue that the British courts have violated his fundamental rights under the ECHR. He claims the government has breached Article 1 of Protocol 1 (right to property) and Article 6 (right to a fair trial).

“The British establishment wants to sweep this under the carpet,” Howells stated. “I will not let them. No matter how long it takes, this will not go away.”

While the ECHR cannot overturn a UK court decision, a ruling in Howells’ favor could pressure British authorities to reconsider their stance. He intends to file his claim in the coming weeks.

Landfill Faces Closure

Howells’ Bitcoin saga began in 2013 when his former partner accidentally threw away a bag containing the hard drive. Since then, he has been battling the Newport City Council, which has repeatedly denied his requests to search the landfill site at Docksway.

The clock is ticking. The landfill is scheduled to close between 2025 and 2026, according to BBC News, meaning Howells could permanently lose access to his fortune if no legal breakthrough is made.

His case is a cautionary tale in self-custody, emphasizing the risks of misplacing private keys.

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