Celebrities

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Second inquest confirms Winehouse died from alcohol poisoning

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 01/9/2013 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Amy Winehouse (CP)

LONDON -- Amy Winehouse died from accidental alcohol poisoning when she resumed drinking after a period of abstinence, a second coroner's inquest confirmed Tuesday.

Coroner Shirley Radcliffe ruled that the 27-year-old soul singer "died as a result of alcohol toxicity" and recorded a verdict of death by misadventure. She said there were no suspicious circumstances.

She said Winehouse "voluntarily consumed alcohol -- a deliberate act that took an unexpected turn and led to her death."

Tuesday's verdict was identical to that produced by a first inquest in 2011. But the result of that hearing was annulled after the original coroner was found to lack the proper qualifications for the job.

The Grammy-winning singer, who fought a very public battle with drug and alcohol abuse for years, was found dead at her London home on July 23, 2011, with empty vodka bottles scattered around her.

Radcliffe said a postmortem had found that Winehouse had a blood alcohol level five times the legal driving limit, and above a level that can prove fatal.

She said that much alcohol could affect the central nervous system so much that a patient could "fall asleep and not wake up."

Pathologist Michael Sheaff told the inquest that Winehouse had likely suffered respiratory arrest after consuming so much alcohol. The level in her blood was 416 milligrams per 100 millilitres, a blood alcohol level of 0.4 per cent. The British legal driving limit is 0.08 per cent.

Winehouse's family did not attend the 45-minute inquest at St. Pancras Coroner's Court, near the singer's north London home.

-- The Associated Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 9, 2013 D2

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Celebrities

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.