Mitch Winehouse has been ordered to pay nearly £1 million to two friends of his late daughter, Amy Winehouse, following a failed legal claim concerning the auction of items belonging to the singer. The High Court ruling comes after Mr. Winehouse’s bid against Naomi Parry and Catriona Gourlay was dismissed earlier this year.

Mr. Winehouse had alleged that Ms. Parry and Ms. Gourlay profited from selling numerous personal items of Amy Winehouse at auctions held in the United States in 2021 and 2023. He claimed the two women had deliberately concealed these sales. However, Judge Sarah Clarke KC rejected these assertions, stating that Mr. Winehouse was aware of the sales beforehand and only initiated legal action afterward in what the judge described as an “aggressive and unpleasant” manner.

In her judgment delivered recently, Judge Clarke criticized Mr. Winehouse for pursuing a claim she characterized as inherently weak and for making serious but unfounded allegations that significantly harmed the reputations, career prospects, financial security, and health of the defendants. The court noted the substantial cost implications for the women, estimating Ms. Parry’s legal expenses at £715,361 and Ms. Gourlay’s at £487,132 as of April.

The judge ordered Mr. Winehouse to pay interim damages to Ms. Parry and Ms. Gourlay amounting to £569,330 and £394,521 respectively within two weeks. Additionally, he must cover the legal costs of both defendants on an indemnity basis. This form of cost recovery typically allows for the reimbursement of a higher percentage of expenses than usual and is often applied in cases where one party is found to have acted unreasonably.

Judge Clarke further remarked that Mr. Winehouse had escalated the dispute into extensive and costly litigation with the apparent intent of exerting commercial pressure on Ms. Parry and Ms. Gourlay to agree to his terms. The ruling highlights the court’s disapproval of the approach taken by Mr. Winehouse throughout the legal proceedings.