Two pals of Amy Winehouse ‘intentionally hid’ that they bought dozens of her private gadgets at public sale after her loss of life, barristers for the singer’s father have informed the Excessive Courtroom.
Mitch Winehouse, performing because the administrator of his daughter’s property, is suing her stylist Naomi Parry and buddy Catriona Gourlay for lots of of hundreds of kilos over claims they profited from promoting dozens of things at auctions within the United States in 2021 and 2023.
The Again to Black hitmaker died aged 27 from alcohol poisoning in July 2011.
Legal professionals for Mr Winehouse informed a trial on Monday that the 2 girls didn’t inform him they have been promoting the gadgets, and the authorized proceedings have been his ‘solely technique of acquiring solutions’.
Parry and Gourlay are defending the declare, with their barristers stating that the gadgets have been both gifted by Winehouse or have been already owned by them.
Henry Legge KC, for Mr Winehouse, stated in written submissions that the gadgets included a silk mini-dress worn by Winehouse in her remaining efficiency in Belgrade, Serbia, which Parry auctioned for $243,200 (£182,656) in 2021.
He stated: ‘Ms Parry and Ms Gourlay intentionally hid from Mr Winehouse the truth that they have been auctioning the gadgets consigned by them to the 2021 public sale and that they have been claiming possession of these gadgets.’
He continued that Mr Winehouse believed that each one the 834 gadgets within the 2021 public sale catalogue have been owned by the property, however that the 2 girls have been ‘asserting possession of over 150’.
The barrister additionally stated that Parry was ‘instrumental in persuading Mr Winehouse to public sale the property’s gadgets’, however didn’t inform him that she ‘stood to achieve from his agreeing to take action’.
Legge stated that after the singer’s loss of life, Mr Winehouse was approached by Darren Julien, of Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles, in 2014 concerning an public sale of her belongings, which Mr Winehouse initially declined.
Julien then contacted Parry, who indicated that she could be keen to promote ‘my assortment’ in 2018, with Gourlay indicating she could be keen to promote gadgets in 2019, Legge stated.
Mr Winehouse then agreed to public sale gadgets 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 Legge stated that Julien ‘didn’t take steps to appropriate Mr Winehouse’s apparent impression that each one heaps belonged to and have been being bought by the property’.
The barrister additionally stated that Julien informed Parry in a textual content message after the public sale: ‘I do suppose he’ll go a bit nuts when he realises all the massive items have been yours’.
He continued that each girls then bought additional gadgets at a second public sale in Might 2023.
A listening to final July was additionally informed by Mr Winehouse’s legal professionals that Parry had bought round 50 gadgets on the 2021 public sale for round $878,183 (about £682,000), and Ms Gourlay had bought round 90 gadgets, for a complete of $334,113 (about £259,000).
Giving proof on Monday, Mr Winehouse stated: ‘I assume that, being so shut, Amy would have given them some issues, however 150 gadgets, I simply can’t consider it.’
In written submissions, Beth Grossman, for Parry, stated that her consumer grew to become Winehouse’s stylist in 2006 and stayed at her property in Camden, London.
She stated: ‘Each defendants contend that the overwhelming majority of the disputed gadgets have been of their possession from earlier than Amy’s loss of life in 2011, and in lots of situations from years earlier than her loss of life.
‘Furthermore, every defendant alleges that a lot of disputed gadgets had, in truth, at all times belonged to them and had solely ever been loaned by Amy.’
In written submissions on behalf of Gourlay, barrister Ted Loveday stated that his consumer ‘believed, and nonetheless believes, that the sale of the gadgets is “what Amy would have needed”.
He stated that Gourlay met Winehouse in 2002 and was her flatmate from 2004 to 2005, with the sooner years of their relationship characterised by ‘sharing and swapping’.
Loveday continued that after 2006 and the discharge of Again to Black, Winehouse ‘more and more gave away gadgets’ to Ms Gourlay and others as a part of ‘extravagant acts of generosity’.
The barrister additionally stated that Mr Winehouse had ‘cobbled collectively’ his declare in a ‘inconsiderate and uncritical method’, and that he was ‘extra involved with defending his popularity and punishing Ms Gourlay and Ms Parry for some form of, totally imagined, slights’.
Loveday additionally stated that whereas the case initially involved 156 gadgets, Mr Winehouse had ‘deserted’ his declare to some.
The trial earlier than Sarah Clarke KC, sitting as a deputy Excessive Courtroom choose, is because of conclude later this week.
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