Amy Winehouse, the renowned singer, expressed her fear of death to her general practitioner shortly before she was discovered lifeless, a second inquest has disclosed.
The official ruling from the coroner, indicating that Winehouse succumbed to “alcohol toxicity” due to excessive drinking, mirrors the initial verdict, which had to be redone following the discovery that the deputy coroner was unqualified.
Dr. Shirley Radcliffe of St Pancras Coroner’s Court delivered a revised judgment of death by “misadventure.”
During the inquest, it emerged that Winehouse, aged 27, was found deceased at her residence in Camden, North London on July 23, 2011, with an alcohol level in her blood exceeding five times the legal limit for driving, measuring 416mg per 100 millilitres.
Dr. Christina Romete, Winehouse’s GP, revealed in a written testimony that the singer had explicitly stated her aversion to death during their last encounter the night prior to her demise.
Describing Winehouse as strong-willed and intelligent, Dr. Romete remarked that the artist was adamant about following her own path, declining medical advice.
Winehouse adamantly rejected psychiatric intervention due to concerns about its impact on her creativity, and she had been grappling with Bulimia for several months leading up to her passing.
Despite a history of substance abuse involving alcohol, heroin, crack cocaine, and marijuana, Winehouse had ceased drug use after a sojourn in St. Lucia.
The GP noted that Winehouse relied on the medication Librium to manage alcohol withdrawal symptoms but struggled with a cycle of abstinence and relapse.
On the night before her death, Winehouse confessed to Dr. Romete that boredom had led her to resume drinking after a three-week hiatus.
A statement provided by Winehouse’s bodyguard, Andrew Morris, portrayed their relationship as akin to siblings, with Morris discovering Winehouse lifeless in her room after returning when he sensed an unusual silence.
Subsequent investigations led by Detective Inspector Les Newman concluded that no foul play was involved in Winehouse’s passing.
The post-mortem examination attributed her demise to alcohol poisoning and likely respiratory failure.
Following the scandal involving the appointment of an unqualified assistant deputy coroner by Dr. Andrew Reid, the initial coroner overseeing the case, the inquest was repeated under the supervision of Dr. Shirley Radcliffe.
Winehouse’s name was among those listed for reconsideration at the St Pancras Coroner’s Court due to the resignation of Dr. Reid amidst the controversy surrounding his spouse’s credentials.
