Amy Winehouse’s father suffered a major courtroom defeat after a judge ruled against him in a long-running legal dispute. The High Court ordered Mitch Winehouse to pay nearly $2.7 million in damages and legal costs to two of the late singer’s close friends after rejecting his claims.
The ruling followed years of litigation over Amy’s personal belongings. The judge concluded that Mitch knew about the planned auctions before accusing the women of concealing them.
Naomi Parry and Catriona Gourlay won their legal battle against Mitch Winehouse
According to PEOPLE, Mitch accused Naomi Parry and Catriona Gourlay of secretly selling Amy Winehouse’s personal items through U.S. auctions between 2021 and 2023 for their own financial benefit.
However, court documents showed that Mitch communicated directly with Darren Julien, whose auction house handled the sales. The records also stated that he received press releases before the auction and knew which items would go to the Grammy Museum.
The documents also stated that Mitch asked Julien’s Auctions not to let Parry review the estate’s auction contract. Judge Sarah Clarke rejected Mitch’s arguments earlier this year and reaffirmed that decision in her final judgment.
“The claimant chose to bring an inherently weak claim, pursue it aggressively and relentlessly to the end, and make serious and unfounded allegations against the defendants which significantly damaged their reputations, career prospects, financial security and health,” Judge Clarke said, according to PEOPLE.
The judge also criticized Mitch’s conduct throughout the proceedings. She said he “deliberately turned this case into large-scale and expensive litigation, in circumstances calculated to exert commercial pressure on the defendants to settle on his terms.”
The court ordered Mitch to pay Naomi Parry £569,330 and Catriona Gourlay £394,521 within two weeks. The judgment also required him to cover their legal costs on an indemnity basis, significantly increasing his financial liability.
According to PEOPLE, the combined damages, interim payments, and legal fees totaled nearly $2.7 million.
Judge Clarke also found that Mitch knowingly targeted two women who had supported both Amy and her family for years. She concluded that he pursued the case despite understanding their financial vulnerability.
Amy Winehouse died from accidental alcohol poisoning in 2011 after transforming modern soul music with her landmark album Back to Black. In a 2023 interview, Mitch remembered his daughter as “a loyal, generous friend” who “saw the best in everybody.”
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