It was disclosed in court yesterday that Amy Winehouse spent her last hours alone in her bedroom, drinking vodka and watching YouTube videos of herself.
A second inquest verified that the 27-year-old passed away from alcohol poisoning in her north London residence on July 23, 2011.
Miss Winehouse consumed such a high quantity of alcohol that she fell into a coma and ceased to breathe.
The inquest was re-conducted due to the initial coroner lacking the necessary qualifications.
St Pancras Coroners Court heard that the Grammy-winning artist, who was struggling with alcoholism and bulimia, spent her final night viewing clips of herself on her laptop.
Twelve hours later, she was discovered deceased on her bed, with her laptop nearby and two empty vodka bottles on the floor.
Her live-in security guard, Andrew Morris, noted that Miss Winehouse was her ‘usual, bubbly self’ on the night of July 22.
In a statement presented to the court, he mentioned she was enjoying television and listening to music in her room.
Later, she showed him YouTube videos of a man she had previously dated. He indicated that although she had been drinking, she ‘wasn’t completely drunk’.
He added that she ‘remained in her room watching YouTube clips of herself’, which he hadn’t seen her do in some time.
Mr. Morris departed from Miss Winehouse’s side around 2:30 am, only to check on her again at 10 am. Upon finding her face down in her bed, fully clothed, he believed she was merely sleeping but grew concerned when she remained in the same position at 3 pm.
After dialing emergency services, he learned she had been declared dead shortly after paramedics arrived at her Camden residence.
Christina Romete, Miss Winehouse’s private GP, revealed that the singer had resumed drinking three days before her passing due to feeling ‘bored’.
Coroner Dr. Shirley Radcliffe reaffirmed the initial verdict, stating that Miss Winehouse died from misadventure.
Pathology tests revealed her blood alcohol level was 416 mg per deciliter—350 mg is considered lethal.
Dr. Romete had been assisting her in combating drug and alcohol addictions for several years and had seen her the day before she passed.
‘During our last consultation, Amy did not exhibit any signs of depression’, she stated.
‘She explicitly mentioned that she did not wish to die.’
Professor Michael Sheaff expressed that the volume of alcohol consumed was sufficient to cause her to stop breathing.
‘Extremely high levels can impact the central nervous system’, he noted.
‘At such levels, it is probable that Ms. Winehouse experienced a respiratory arrest.’
The inquest revealed that Ms. Winehouse had a documented history of alcohol struggles, having been hospitalized several times but facing difficulty in stopping her drinking.
‘Amy was evidently a highly intelligent individual’, stated Dr. Romete.
‘Convincing her to follow a particular course of action was only feasible if she wanted to.’
Dr. Romete confirmed that the singer had remained sober for ‘12 to 13 days’ leading up to her death but had resumed drinking three days before she was found unconscious.
The initial verdict on the inquest into her death was annulled after it was discovered that deputy coroner Suzanne Greenaway, who presided over the hearing, was underqualified.
She had been appointed in July 2009 by her husband, Andrew Reid, the coroner for Inner North London, after having worked as a solicitor and barrister in Australia.
However, she resigned in November last year upon realization that she lacked the mandatory five years of experience in the Law Society.
Last month, Dr. Reid also resigned amid disciplinary proceedings and the potential for removal.
‘There is evidence that she consumed a significant amount of alcohol shortly before her death’, Dr. Radcliffe stated.
‘Amy died due to alcohol toxicity.’
by Milo Johnson