The father of the late singer Amy Winehouse has lost a High Court battle against two of his daughter’s friends after dozens of her belongings were auctioned. Mitch Winehouse brought the case against Naomi Parry and Catriona Gourlay, accusing them of profiting from items sold at auctions in the United States.
Lawyers for Winehouse told the court the two women had “deliberately concealed” the sales and said he turned to legal action because it was his “only means of obtaining answers”.
Deputy High Court judge Sarah Clarke KC ruled against this and said Winehouse “could have discovered what disputed items the defendants had with reasonable diligence”.
The judge said Winehouse was “understandably sensitive about anyone who he perceives as exploiting Amy’s memory… but also, in my judgement, he is equally sensitive about ensuring that the family continue to benefit financially.”
She also said that he “likes to dominate people and situations”, that she found him to be an “unreliable witness” and that he brought the claim “without bothering to check until shortly before trial” that he had a valid claim for the items he was claiming for. Amy Winehouse was a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, best known for hits including Rehab and Back to Black, who died in 2011 at the age of 27.
Barristers for the Parry and Gourlay said the items had either been given to them by Amy Winehouse or already belonged to them.
The judge described how the singer would “routinely” give clothing to her close friends as she did not want to be seen wearing the same piece more than once in public and she had “more items than she could ever wear, use or store”.
She also mentioned her “extraordinary generosity” and found that it was consistent with her character to give items away and not change her mind about it.
Parry said in a statement read out in court: “I stood beside Amy as a friend, a creative partner, and her costume designer. What we shared was built on trust, loyalty, and a genuine love of the work.
“For now, my focus is on rebuilding my life and career, and protecting my name, the work I created with Amy, and her legacy.”
By BBC News
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