James Howells, a computer expert from Newport, Wales, has spent more than a decade trying to recover a hard drive he says contains £500 million worth of bitcoin.
The hard drive was reportedly discarded in a council landfill in 2013.
On Tuesday, his battle reached the Cardiff civil and family court. His legal team argued recovery efforts are feasible and carefully planned.
The Background
In the summer of 2013, Howells claims he accidentally discarded the hard drive during an office clear-out. It was placed in a black bag, which his then partner mistakenly took to a landfill.
The hard drive reportedly contains a bitcoin wallet holding approximately 8,000 bitcoins, valued at around £500 million today.
Newport City Council has consistently denied Howells’ requests to search the landfill, citing environmental and logistical concerns.
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Arguments From Howells’ Team
Howells’ case was presented by a team of lawyers, supported by data recovery engineers who are working on a profit-sharing agreement.
Howells’ team claims the hard drive’s location has been narrowed to a specific area. This has been identified as “Cell 2 – Area 2” of Newport’s Docksway landfill site.
Dean Armstrong KC, representing Howells, described the operation as a “precise excavation” led by expert excavators. Armstrong emphasized that this was not a “needle-in-a-haystack” situation.
]Howells stated he cannot move on without trying to find the drive.
He said:
“I could spend the rest of my life working nine to five and thinking about [the fortune] every day.”
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Arguments From Newport City Council
James Goudie KC, representing the council, argued that anything discarded in the landfill becomes council property.
The council stated excavation is not permitted under its environmental license and would have significant negative environmental impacts.
Goudie described Howells’ offer to share the bitcoin as an attempt to buy something the council is “not in a position to sell.”
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Wider Implications
- Expert Support: Howells has secured backing from a range of experts, including the council’s former head of landfill, to bolster his claims.
- Environmental Concerns: Newport council has raised issues about the potential environmental harm and cost to taxpayers, describing Howells’ case as baseless.
Outcome Pending
Judge Keyser KC, the circuit commercial judge for Wales, reserved judgment after hearing arguments from both sides.
A decision on whether the case will proceed to a full trial at the high court is awaited.
Looking Ahead
This case has reignited debates about the complexities of recovering lost cryptocurrency and the environmental and legal challenges that accompany such efforts.
Whether Howells’ “finely tuned” recovery plan will proceed remains to be seen, but it underscores the lengths individuals may go to reclaim lost digital fortunes.
