Father who lost £630m Bitcoin fortune when his girlfriend threw his computer out FINALLY gives up eight-year fight to find it
Computer expert James Howells, 39, lost 8,000 bitcoins when his former partner threw out a bin bag containing computer parts from their home in 2013.
Since then the cryptocurrency value has sky-rocketed and James has been battling with his local council for the right to search a rubbish dump in Newport, Gwent, for his buried treasure - now worth over £717million.
The father-of-three launched a legal bid for permission to search the council-owned dump but his case was thrown out by a judge earlier this year.
He has even offered to buy the landfill site from Newport City Council after being backed by hedge-fund millionaires wanting a slice of his fortune but his offers were rebuffed.
James said he would 'never give up' his hope of getting the coins back but believed the 'gates had been locked' by those in power.
Speaking to Crypto Banter, James said: 'I've been denied access to even start the search. What else can I do? What else do you want me to try?
'I will try whatever you want to try but at the end of the day if the gatekeepers will not open the gate there is nothing to try.
Since then the cryptocurrency value has sky-rocketed and James has been battling with his local council for the right to search a rubbish dump in Newport, Gwent, for his buried treasure - now worth over £717million
Asked if it was difficult to accept, James said: 'Yes, obviously.'
'I would happily dig tomorrow but they are not going to change their minds. I believed that once the value of this hard drive reached $1billion they would come to their senses and say "ok let's have a conversation and see if we can make this happen".
'Even after I put a multi-million dollar offer to them to buy the landfill they still won't respond to me so what else do you want me to do?
'I have asked everyone in the crypto community what would you do? I have tried everything possible.'
James is now planning on developing his own cryptocurrency called Ceiniog Coin which is linked to the value of his lost hard drive to regain some of his money.
James said: 'I'm no longer trying to communicate with them [Newport Council], I did that for 12 years. If they want to communicate with me then they can get in touch with me.'
James lodged his writ in a bid to seek the legal right to be allowed to search for the missing hard drive but the local authority sought to strike out the claim and in January this year a judge ruled in its favour.
Judge Keyser, sitting as a High Court judge, said Mr Howells claim had 'no realistic prospect of succeeding' if he allowed the case to continue to trial.
He said: 'I consider that the particulars of 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.'
After accidentally dumping the hard drive along with other computer parts Mr Howells instantly realised the mistake and has been asking to get the hard drive back ever since but the council consistently said no.
And it has been lost in the landfill site ever since - where more rubbish has been piled on top.
The court hearing was told his search amounted looking for a 'needle in a haystack' and Judge Keyser, sitting as a High Court judge, said his legal bid had 'no realistic prospect of succeeding.'
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