Two of Amy Winehouse's friends “deliberately concealed” that they sold dozens of her personal belongings at auction after her death, the High Court has heard.
Mitch Winehouse, acting administrator of his daughter's estate, is suing her stylist Naomi Parry and friend Catriona Gourley for hundreds of thousands of pounds over claims they profited from selling items at US auctions in 2021 and 2023.
Amy Winehouse, the British chart-topping singer, died of alcohol poisoning at the age of 27 in July 2011.
Mr Winehouse's lawyers said in court on Monday that the two women did not tell him they were selling the items.
Ms Parry and Ms Gourley are defending the claim, with their lawyers saying the items were either donated by the singer or already belonged to them.
Stylist Naomi Parry (left) and Catriona Gourley are accused of profiting from auctioned items without consent – Timothy Norris/Getty
Henry Legge, a representative for Mr Winehouse, said in written submissions that the items included a silk minidress worn by Winehouse at her last performance in Belgrade, Serbia, which Ms Parry sold at auction for $243,200 (about £182,656) in 2021.
He said: “Ms Parry and Ms Gourley deliberately concealed from Mr Winehouse the fact that they were auctioning items they had consigned to the 2021 auction and that they were claiming ownership of those items.”
He added that Mr Winehouse believed all 834 items in the 2021 auction catalog belonged to the estate, but the two women were “claiming ownership of more than 150”.
Mr Legg said that after Ms Winehouse's death in 2014, Mr Winehouse was approached by Darren Julien of Julien's Auctions in Los Angeles about an auction of her belongings, which Mr Winehouse initially declined.
Mr. Julien then contacted Ms. Parry, who indicated she was willing to sell “my collection” in 2018, and Ms. Gourley indicated she would be willing to sell the items in 2019, Mr. Legge said.
At the hearing last July, Mr Winehouse's lawyers also revealed that Ms Parry sold around 50 items at the 2021 auction for around $878,183 (around £682,000) and Ms Gourley sold around 90 items for a total of $334,113 (around £259,000).
Giving evidence on Monday, Mr Winehouse said: “I imagine being so close Amy would have given them some things, but 150 items, I just can't believe it.”
Mitch Winehouse is suing over the sale of his daughter's belongings – Typhoon Salchi
In written submissions, Beth Grossman, representing Ms Parry, said her client became Ms Winehouse's stylist in 2006 and stayed at her property in Camden, London.
She said: “Both defendants claim that the vast majority of the items in dispute were in their possession before Amy's death in 2011, and in many cases for years before her death.
“Furthermore, each defendant contends that a number of the items in dispute were, in fact, theirs at all times and were lent only to Amy.”
In written submissions on Ms Gourley's behalf, lawyer Ted Loveday said his client “believed and still believes that the sale of the items is 'what Amy would have wanted'.”
Mr Loveday continued that after 2006 and the release of Back to Black, Winehouse “increasingly gave things away” to Ms Gourley and others in “extravagant acts of generosity”.
The trial of Sarah Clarke CC, sitting as a deputy High Court judge, is due to conclude later this week.
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