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Amy Winehouse, Cause of Death: Second Inquest Results Revealed

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LONDON (AP) - 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 that Winehouse "voluntarily consumed alcohol - a deliberate act that took an unexpected turn and led to her death."

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 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 a respiratory arrest after consuming so much alcohol. The level in her blood was 416 milligrams per 100 milliliters, a blood alcohol level of 0.4 percent. The British legal driving limit is 0.08 percent.

Winehouse's family did not attend the 45-minute inquest, which was held after the original coroner was found to lack the proper qualifications for the job.

That coroner later resigned after her qualifications were questioned. She had been hired by her husband, the senior coroner for inner north London. But she had not been a registered lawyer in Britain for five years as required.

In Britain, inquests are held to determine the facts whenever someone dies unexpectedly, violently or in disputed circumstances.

Tuesday's verdict was the same as that produced by the first inquest in 2011.

The beehive-haired Winehouse shot to global fame with her 2006 album "Back to Black," which won five Grammys. But her erratic public behavior, turbulent private life and frequent health problems - which included seizures, emphysema and bulimia - often overshadowed her talent.

Tuesday's second inquest re-heard testimony from witnesses and experts including the bodyguard who found Winehouse dead, the police officer who investigated and a doctor who treated the singer as she tried to quit drugs and alcohol.

The doctor, Christina Romete, said Winehouse was "a highly intelligent individual, very determined and willful," who did not easily follow doctors' orders and resisted suggestions she seek psychological help.

She said the singer had successfully given up drugs after a period taking heroin, crack cocaine and marijuana, but had struggled to stop drinking, going through periods of abstinence followed by booze binges.

She started drinking a few days before her death, after being dry for almost two weeks.

"She said she started drinking again because she felt bored," said Romete, who saw Winehouse the day before she died.

"I asked Amy if she was going to stop drinking that evening, and she said she did not know," the doctor said.

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yvonneboggs79

This is a bunch of bullish. Man ppl lie for no reason. if you paid attention to what the media said closely then you would know that she was murdred. They said that the neighbors heard loud screams and playing of drums..... illuminati ritual killing she was held down and killed like whitney houston yall better wake up these ppl dont just die they are sacrificed for others who want fame or owe blood to satan. do some research.

January 10 2013 at 10:06 PM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
Steve

Gee, if you drink 5 times the legal limit, and weigh 85 pounds, you might fall asleep and not wake up. No kidding.

Of course her demise is tragic, but the world saw it coming.

January 10 2013 at 8:41 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
R

You could smoke a ton of weed and still wake up the next day.. just sayin

January 08 2013 at 4:22 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
debbyvill

She died due to a terminal case of death. Why won't people leave it alone? She's gone.

January 08 2013 at 4:21 PM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
Teresa

it is a shame when someone that young has to die from the lonelyness and dispare of money and not have any true freinds to be there what ever the cost and help her throw her worries and depresion from being a singer and the publicity it brings
remember they can be the lonelyess people out there

January 08 2013 at 4:17 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
LadyGodiva

There is only one person to blame and now she's dead...who knows...maybe she had a death wish!

January 08 2013 at 4:02 PM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
purerockfury

seriously people needed to spend all that time and money on figuring out this crack addict, drunks cause of death? i could have done that for half the price and a lot quicker.

i still do not see the appeal of this thing and it's singing. i would rather listen to a rapper or pop star than what came out of this things throat.

i guess teaching your kids that going to rehab is a bad thing. isn't that what it sings about? how it doesn't go to rehab and doing crack and drinking is the way to go? good luck with your children in the future.

January 08 2013 at 3:37 PM Report abuse -3 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to purerockfury's comment
joyinky43

SHE was a woman and a human being NOT a thing or an it.. Have some respect for the dead...I am sure your Mom taught you better than to speak of the dead in the manner which you did..

January 10 2013 at 6:03 PM Report abuse +3 rate up rate down Reply
Gary1212

To Bad....I liked her !

January 08 2013 at 3:11 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
geneg69

I don't have any comments to make here. There's enough stupid comments from
people who didn't know anything about this great Lady. She was a great singer.
Let's give her credit where credit is due.

January 08 2013 at 3:04 PM Report abuse +4 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to geneg69's comment
LadyGodiva

This article isn't about what a 'great' lady she was...it;s about her alcohol and drug habits!

January 08 2013 at 3:41 PM Report abuse -2 rate up rate down Reply
LadyGodiva

Why is it accidental?...she didn't know she was drinking alcohol?...oh brother!!

January 08 2013 at 2:52 PM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply