Amy Winehouse’s closest mates, Naomi Parry and Catriona Gourlay, have confronted the late singer’s dad, Mitch, in court docket, after he accused them of auctioning off the star’s private property

Amy Winehouse’s dad has confronted the singer’s closest mates in court docket. Mitch, a former London cab driver, accused Naomi Parry and Catriona Gourlay of promoting the late musician’s private objects.

The pair, who had been usually seen with Amy, are being sued for the sum of £730,000. They each deny the allegations made towards them. At this time, a trial commenced on the Royal Courts of Justice and is predicted to final a number of days. Mitch is suing each Perry and Gourlay in his capability because the executor of Amy’s property.

Two mates of Amy Winehouse “intentionally hid” that they bought dozens of her private objects at public sale after her demise, barristers for the singer’s father advised the Excessive Courtroom.

Henry Legge KC, for Mr Winehouse, mentioned in written submissions that the objects included a silk mini-dress worn by Ms Winehouse in her closing efficiency in Belgrade, Serbia, which Ms Parry auctioned for 243,200 US {dollars} (£182,656) in 2021.

He mentioned: “Ms Parry and Ms Gourlay intentionally hid from Mr Winehouse the truth that they had been auctioning the objects consigned by them to the 2021 public sale and that they had been claiming possession of these objects.”

He continued that Mr Winehouse believed that each one the 834 objects within the 2021 public sale catalogue had been owned by the property, however that the 2 girls had been “asserting possession of over 150”.

The barrister additionally mentioned that Ms Parry was “instrumental in persuading Mr Winehouse to public sale the property’s objects”, however didn’t inform him that she “stood to achieve from his agreeing to take action”.

Mr Legge mentioned that after Ms Winehouse’s demise, Mr Winehouse was approached by Darren Julien, of Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles, in 2014 relating to an public sale of her belongings, which Mr Winehouse initially declined.

Mr Julien then contacted Ms Parry, who indicated that she could be keen to promote “my assortment” in 2018, with Ms Gourlay indicating she could be keen to promote objects in 2019, Mr Legge mentioned. Mr Winehouse then agreed to public sale objects in 2021, which raised round 1.4 million {dollars} (£1.05 million) for the property, with 30% of the proceeds going to the Amy Winehouse Basis.

However Mr Legge mentioned that Mr Julien “didn’t take steps to right Mr Winehouse’s apparent impression that each one heaps belonged to and had been being bought by the property”. The barrister additionally mentioned that Mr Julien advised Ms Parry in a textual content message after the public sale: “I do assume he’ll go somewhat nuts when he realises all the large items had been yours”.

He continued that each girls then bought additional objects at a second public sale in Might 2023. Giving proof on Monday, Mr Winehouse mentioned: “I assume that, being so shut, Amy would have given them some issues, however 150 objects, I simply can not consider it.”

At a listening to in July final yr, the Excessive Courtroom was advised that there was proof of “suspicious circumstances” surrounding two Amy Winehouse auctions. Mitch, who’s an executor of Amy’s property, claims that Naomi and Catriona despatched “varied objects of private property owned by Amy throughout her lifetime” to auctions in 2021 and in 2023.

Throughout the listening to, each Naomi and Catriona had been instructed to offer extra proof to Winehouse in relation to the 156 disputed objects which had been gifted to them by the Again to Black songstress or had been by no means owned outright by Ms Winehouse.

Each Naomi and Catriona deny the allegations and deny “wrongfully” buying objects and mentioned that they’d “continuously lend” Amy objects as a result of their love for “vogue and magnificence”.

Objects bought through a US public sale included attire from Amy’s cancelled tour in 2011, a Fendi bracelet and bag, make-up and different objects of clothes.

In February 2024, each Naomi and Catriona shared on social media that they had been gifted objects by Amy throughout her life for over “a decade”. Additionally they claimed they spoke about them within the press and to “Mr Winehouse himself.”

Additionally they said that their “possession was by no means questioned till they had been bought.” After their varied initiatives, together with Past Black – The Life and Type of Amy Winehouse and several other exhibitions, they mentioned that they made the choice to public sale a number of the assortment titled Property from the Life and Profession of Amy Winehouse, which they mentioned was in “collaboration with Amy’s property”.

It is claimed that Naomi and Catriona’s determination to place the objects up on the market in “their very own names and on their very own behalf” transformed Amy’s property to “their very own use”. Mitch is in search of £534,192.90 in damages from Naomi and £198,041.07 from Catriona.

Beth Grossman for Naomi mentioned that Mitch had obtained “in depth” data, which was “enough” to forestall any “hampering” of his case. She added that Mitch had “significantly larger funds obtainable for this litigation”. Grossman added: “The related incidents all occurred a few years in the past, in some circumstances round 20 years in the past; Ms Winehouse has sadly been deceased since 2011, and concern exchanges between girls who had been shut mates.

“This isn’t a declare arising in a company or notably formal context: the very nature of private interactions similar to that is that there’s unlikely to be a considerable amount of documentary proof and it’s possible that reminiscences could have light in sure respects.”

In the meantime, James Fennemore for Mitch mentioned that the case would “primarily contain and activate an in depth scrutiny of the defendants’ case in respect of the circumstances through which they are saying the objects got here by them.” He added that there was “little or no element in regards to the circumstances of the alleged items” and there was “proof of suspicious circumstances surrounding these auctions.”

Amy tragically died aged 27 on July 23, 2011, at her house in Camden, north London. Following two inquests into her demise, her reason behind demise was dominated to be unintentional by the best way of alcohol poisoning.

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