Winehouse died of vodka binge

Amy Winehouse. Photo / Supplied

Amy Winehouse died from alcohol poisoning after a huge binge-drinking session that sent her into a coma, a coroner ruled.

A verdict of misadventure was recorded at an inquest into the death of the singer. She was found in her bed in her £2.3 million ($4.5 million) flat in Camden, north London, on July 23.

Her father, Mitch, had said he believed that the 27-year-old, who fought addictions to drugs and drink, died after suffering a seizure as a result of alcohol withdrawal. The Grammy award-winning star had drunk more than five times the legal drink-drive limit, despite repeated warnings from her doctor of the possible consequences.

The inquest at St Pancras coroner's court, attended by Mitch and Janis Winehouse, heard that the singer had returned to drinking after three weeks of abstinence. Police recovered two large bottles of vodka and one small one.

Suzanne Greenway, the St Pancras coroner, said: "She had consumed alcohol at 416mg per decilitre [of blood] and the unintended consequence of such potentially fatal levels was her sudden and unexpected death."

The alcohol in her system was sufficient to have stopped her breathing and send her into a coma, the court heard.

Dr Suhail Baithun, the pathologist who conducted the post-mortem examination, said at 200mg per decilitre [of blood] someone would lose control of their reflexes and 350mg was considered a fatal level. Her vital organs, including her liver and heart, were in good shape.

The Winehouse family said: "It is some relief to finally find out what happened to Amy. We understand there was alcohol in her system when she passed away - it is likely there was a build-up of alcohol in her system over a number of days."

Winehouse had kicked her drug habit but fell back into a pattern of abstaining from drink for weeks, then starting again. Dr Christina Romete, her GP, saw her the night before she died and said she was tipsy but coherent. Winehouse told her that she did not know if she was going to stop drinking but that "she did not want to die".

- INDEPENDENT