Pop star ‘drank herself to death by accident’

Pop star Amy Winehouse died at the age of 27 of accidental alcohol poisoning, it was confirmed by the second coroner’s inquest into her death. The first inquest had to be disregarded when it was discovered that the coroner had been technically unqualified to preside over it. However, the second inquest confirmed the conclusion of the first.

Officially, the verdict was recorded as death by misadventure. The coroner concluded that she was “satisfied on the balance of probability that Amy voluntarily consumed a large amount of alcohol in a deliberate act that took an unexpected turn and led to the death of a talented young woman at such an early age.”

Immediately following Winehouse’s death there was speculation as to whether it had been drug related, but the inquest confirmed that it was due to alcohol alone. There were no traces of recreational drugs in her body at death but she had a blood alcohol level approximately five times the legal alcohol limit for driving. Two empty vodka bottles were found on the floor of the bedroom where Winehouse died. The evidence presented to the inquest suggested that the singer had been in good form in the period leading up to her death, and had spent the time watching videos of her own performances.

Amy Winehouse had a long history of mental health problems including drug and alcohol abuse. She attended various private clinics for treatment, and she appears to have succeeded in overcoming her drug problems.

After her death, her father Mitch Winehouse announced that the family planned to set up a charitable foundation in her name and use it to establish a rehabilitation centre to help people struggling to overcome an addiction but who lack the means to pay for private treatment.