Amy Winehouse's father ordered to pay £1m in legal costs

Mitch Winehouse, the father of the late Amy Winehouse, has been instructed by a High Court judge to pay close to £1 million to two of his daughter's friends following a failed lawsuit regarding the auction of her belongings. The lawsuit, filed against Naomi Parry and Catriona Gourlay, claimed they had gained financially from selling numerous items belonging to Amy at US auctions in 2021 and 2023 while "deliberately concealing" these transactions. However, Ms Justice Clarke dismissed the case earlier this year, stating that Winehouse was aware of the sales and later pursued the women in a "harsh and unpleasant manner." On Wednesday, the judge mandated interim payments of £569,330 to Parry and £394,521 to Gourlay within two weeks, along with their legal fees. The judge remarked that Winehouse had "intentionally escalated this case into costly litigation" to apply commercial pressure on the defendants, resulting in his own legal expenses exceeding £950,000. The judge condemned his actions as especially serious, noting the women's loyalty to both Amy and his family.