1 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:04,240 FEMALE NEWSCASTER: Tonight, the music industry is mourning the loss 2 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:06,080 of one of its brightest stars. 3 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:09,240 The singer Amy Winehouse has been found dead in her flat. 4 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:14,720 NARRATOR: Amy Winehouse and her music won the hearts of millions. 5 00:00:16,240 --> 00:00:18,680 Her multi-award winning album, Back to Black, 6 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:21,960 has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. 7 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:29,000 Her soulful voice, the honesty of her lyrics and down to earth personality, 8 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:30,800 won the hearts of millions. 9 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:32,320 (CROWD APPLAUDING) 10 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:34,280 To be honest, this is really high end for me you know, 11 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:36,400 like this isn't the kind of thing I'm used to, you know. 12 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:39,280 -(CROWD LAUGHS) -But Andrew... Sir, Sir Andrew Lloyd-Webber, 13 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:41,240 like he's up here and I'm like, all I can think about 14 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:43,000 is the fact that he looks like my Uncle Ron. 15 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:45,000 (AUDIENCE LAUGHS) I'm serious. 16 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:47,160 Thank you very much. (APPLAUSE) 17 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:57,200 NARRATOR: But at 3:00 pm on July 23rd, 2011, 18 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:00,720 Amy Winehouse is found dead in the bedroom of her home 19 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:03,000 in Camden, North London. 20 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:10,120 At the inquest, the coroner concluded, 21 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:12,200 she had died of alcohol poisoning. 22 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:17,720 It was no secret that Amy Winehouse had had a long battle with addictions. 23 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:19,680 But in the weeks leading up to her death, 24 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:21,560 she'd made huge progress. 25 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:23,440 She was clean from drugs 26 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:26,160 and she was tackling her alcohol dependence. 27 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:30,680 So, why did Amy Winehouse suddenly drink herself to death? 28 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:43,120 NARRATOR: Dr Jason Payne-James, 29 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:45,200 is an internationally recognised specialist 30 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:47,560 in forensic and legal medicine. 31 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:50,480 Called on by the National Crime Agency, 32 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:55,160 the Metropolitan Police and government task forces in the US and the UK, 33 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:59,280 he provided evidence in the Soham murders and the Baby P cases. 34 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:03,680 Using information revealed at the autopsy, 35 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:06,400 evidence from the inquest and eye witness accounts, 36 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:09,480 I'm going to investigate the last few days and hours 37 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:11,800 of Amy Winehouse's life. 38 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:15,480 How did alcohol kill her, and was it the only factor in her death? 39 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:20,960 NARRATOR: June 18th, 2011. 40 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:22,680 Belgrade, Serbia. 41 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:27,160 Five weeks before her death, 42 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:29,720 Amy Winehouse and her band are about to go on stage 43 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:32,880 for the first night of a 12-date European tour. 44 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:39,480 Under intense pressure, following a series of disastrous concerts, 45 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:41,520 Amy's career is in crisis. 46 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:45,520 MICK O'SHEA: Amy was in a seriously dark place. 47 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:49,320 She is haunted by demons, her personal life's been a car crash. 48 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:51,800 This is the acid test. 49 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:56,920 It's her first... The first proper gig in quite a while 50 00:02:56,920 --> 00:03:02,200 and she needs to silence those critics and silence them for good. 51 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:03,720 (INDISTINCT CONVERSATION) 52 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:11,760 She'd sort of been making these concerted efforts to 53 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:14,640 put the show back on the road 54 00:03:14,640 --> 00:03:18,360 and because of that, we were all very hopeful, 55 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:20,320 this was going to be a comeback tour. 56 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:22,680 We honestly thought she was getting better. 57 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:24,240 (CROWD SHOUTING, BOOING) 58 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:26,200 NARRATOR: But it's a disaster. 59 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:31,160 As this footage reveals, a drunken Amy is barely able to perform. 60 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,240 MILLER: It was chaos. 61 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:35,360 This was on another level 62 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:38,200 and we realised that it just couldn't go on. 63 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,000 We played for over an hour. 64 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:44,400 I don't think we got through a single song 65 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:47,960 and it was just heart-breaking, it was heart-wrenching. 66 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:53,920 NARRATOR: Southgate, North London, 1997. 67 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:57,560 Amy's talent was obvious from childhood. 68 00:03:57,560 --> 00:03:59,960 She began writing songs, aged 14. 69 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:02,320 Growing up, I just thought 70 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:05,320 when you, when you're happy or sad you know, you sing. 71 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:11,720 NARRATOR: By 16, she was a vocalist with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra 72 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:14,880 and signed to music impresario, Simon Fuller. 73 00:04:16,280 --> 00:04:19,240 My music is the only area in my life where I am fully 74 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:23,560 confident and fully embrace everything, you know what I mean? So... 75 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:26,360 So yeah. (CHUCKLES) 76 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:31,400 NARRATOR: She burst to prominence in 2003, aged just 20, 77 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:33,440 with her debut album "Frank." 78 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:39,400 MILLER: She was world class, an extreme talent. 79 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:42,200 We'd be in rehearsals and at times, 80 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:45,320 she, you know, would be crying because it was so good. 81 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:53,960 It's timeless music and it'll bring smiles, it'll bring tears. 82 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:55,840 That's what Amy did. 83 00:04:55,840 --> 00:04:58,440 Music is the most influential thing in my entire life 84 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:00,800 and will be, you know, until I die. 85 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:04,600 NARRATOR: Amy's gift is obvious in the title track 86 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:07,360 of her second album in 2006. 87 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:12,200 Her distinctive beehive hairstyle and '50s-inspired image 88 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:14,840 became recognisable around the world. 89 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:18,080 Looking at Amy Winehouse, 90 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:21,920 the first thing we notice is her big black beehive wig, 91 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:23,680 her multiple tattoos. 92 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:26,360 She's had breast enhancement surgery. 93 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:30,600 All of these suggest somebody who is very conscious of their body 94 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:32,480 and very conscious of the image 95 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:34,280 that they wish to project to others. 96 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:37,960 NARRATOR: But Amy's iconic looks and huge success 97 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:41,480 were overshadowed by a spiral into an abyss of addiction. 98 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:51,200 Violent outbursts, bizarre behaviour and stints in rehab 99 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:52,800 became a national obsession. 100 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:56,840 SKARBEK: She was very emotional, she was very sensitive. 101 00:05:56,840 --> 00:05:59,600 That leaves you very exposed 102 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:02,120 particularly when you become famous 103 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:04,240 and you don't know what's real and what's not real. 104 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:05,360 (PAPARAZZI CHATTERING) 105 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:06,360 (CAMERAS CLICKING) 106 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:10,640 There's no way that you would want that fame 107 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:12,960 with that much attention to the point that 108 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:15,440 you couldn't even breathe when you left your own house. 109 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:17,280 (INDISTINCT SHOUTING) 110 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:20,760 She's not really primed to be famous. 111 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:23,520 She was... She was always going to be bad at it. 112 00:06:26,790 --> 00:06:29,590 NARRATOR: June 22nd, 2011. 113 00:06:29,590 --> 00:06:31,550 Camden Town, London. 114 00:06:32,670 --> 00:06:36,270 A month before her death, Amy Winehouse returns home 115 00:06:36,270 --> 00:06:39,630 following her disastrous performance in Serbia. 116 00:06:39,630 --> 00:06:42,150 Her European tour has been cancelled. 117 00:06:42,150 --> 00:06:44,670 She will never perform in public again. 118 00:06:46,670 --> 00:06:48,870 MILLER: It was an absolute blow to her. 119 00:06:48,870 --> 00:06:50,910 She knew what was going on 120 00:06:50,910 --> 00:06:53,990 and it was very hard for her to come to terms with it. 121 00:06:55,710 --> 00:06:58,830 NARRATOR: Four weeks later, Amy Winehouse is found dead. 122 00:07:00,590 --> 00:07:05,590 The results of forensic tests conducted during the autopsy are a revelation. 123 00:07:07,430 --> 00:07:09,070 From the toxicology report, 124 00:07:09,070 --> 00:07:12,830 the first thing I notice is that Amy is taking a prescription drug 125 00:07:12,830 --> 00:07:13,830 called Librium. 126 00:07:16,670 --> 00:07:20,550 Librium is one of a class of drugs called benzodiazepines 127 00:07:20,550 --> 00:07:23,350 and is used in the treatment of alcohol dependence 128 00:07:23,350 --> 00:07:27,430 and also used to treat the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. 129 00:07:28,430 --> 00:07:30,950 So that seems odd because on the one hand, 130 00:07:30,950 --> 00:07:33,190 Amy died of alcohol poisoning. 131 00:07:33,190 --> 00:07:37,110 But on the other hand, she was trying to actively manage her recovery. 132 00:07:39,590 --> 00:07:41,550 NARRATOR: There were other signs that Amy Winehouse 133 00:07:41,550 --> 00:07:44,830 was turning a corner and trying to change her life. 134 00:07:45,910 --> 00:07:47,590 O'SHEA: She had a new boyfriend 135 00:07:47,590 --> 00:07:50,510 who wasn't living in her reflected glory. 136 00:07:50,510 --> 00:07:52,270 He had his own career. 137 00:07:52,270 --> 00:07:54,470 His creativity kick-started hers. 138 00:07:54,470 --> 00:07:56,270 She was writing songs again, 139 00:07:56,270 --> 00:07:58,270 she was making plans for the future. 140 00:07:58,270 --> 00:08:01,710 They were gonna go to St Lucia to celebrate her birthday in September. 141 00:08:01,710 --> 00:08:03,350 There was even talk of marriage. 142 00:08:04,830 --> 00:08:06,630 DR JAMES: There's a substantial amount of evidence 143 00:08:06,630 --> 00:08:08,270 that suggests that Amy Winehouse 144 00:08:08,270 --> 00:08:11,030 was really trying to deal with her alcohol addiction 145 00:08:11,030 --> 00:08:13,750 and that there were many positive things in her life. 146 00:08:13,750 --> 00:08:16,750 What then changed that made her relapse 147 00:08:16,750 --> 00:08:18,710 and eventually drink herself to death? 148 00:08:19,830 --> 00:08:23,030 NARRATOR: Blood samples were subjected to toxicology tests. 149 00:08:23,870 --> 00:08:26,190 The results were a shock. 150 00:08:26,190 --> 00:08:28,430 Amy Winehouse had a blood alcohol level 151 00:08:28,430 --> 00:08:31,070 of 416 milligrams percent. 152 00:08:31,070 --> 00:08:34,110 That's more than five times the drink/drive limit. 153 00:08:37,350 --> 00:08:41,150 Alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream and passes to the brain 154 00:08:41,150 --> 00:08:45,310 where it has a direct toxic effect on the respiratory centre 155 00:08:45,310 --> 00:08:49,710 causing respiratory depression and cessation of breathing. 156 00:08:49,710 --> 00:08:53,310 Two to three minutes later, your heart will stop. 157 00:08:53,310 --> 00:08:56,990 Oxygen does not reach the brain and you die. 158 00:08:59,070 --> 00:09:01,350 But the death of Amy Winehouse is a mystery. 159 00:09:01,350 --> 00:09:04,910 On the one hand, she was taking a prescription drug, Librium, 160 00:09:04,910 --> 00:09:07,670 to combat the effects of alcohol dependence. 161 00:09:07,670 --> 00:09:11,150 Yet, we know she died of alcohol poisoning. 162 00:09:11,150 --> 00:09:14,550 So, was alcohol the sole cause of her death 163 00:09:14,550 --> 00:09:16,550 or were other factors involved? 164 00:09:17,670 --> 00:09:21,670 NARRATOR: Eyewitness testimony reveals a tantalising clue. 165 00:09:21,670 --> 00:09:23,950 On the day Amy's body was found, 166 00:09:23,950 --> 00:09:26,830 vomit was discovered in her bathroom toilet. 167 00:09:27,830 --> 00:09:31,910 Was this a symptom of her alcoholism or of some other illness? 168 00:09:36,830 --> 00:09:40,630 Thursday, July the 21st 2011, 169 00:09:40,630 --> 00:09:42,510 Camden, North London. 170 00:09:42,510 --> 00:09:45,510 Two days before she dies, Amy Winehouse is at home 171 00:09:45,510 --> 00:09:49,390 with her live-in security guard, Andrew Morris. 172 00:09:49,390 --> 00:09:50,510 I want that one. 173 00:09:51,990 --> 00:09:54,310 She liked Kentucky, there's curry, 174 00:09:54,310 --> 00:09:57,310 there's Chinese, there's Asian, there's Thai. 175 00:09:57,310 --> 00:10:00,270 She was never one for salads, never one for the healthy thing. 176 00:10:00,270 --> 00:10:01,790 As long as there's a chicken curry, 177 00:10:01,790 --> 00:10:03,430 didn't care about the five a day. 178 00:10:04,670 --> 00:10:09,110 NARRATOR: Her love of high cholesterol food hid a deeper problem. 179 00:10:10,350 --> 00:10:12,190 DR JAMES: Evidence heard at the inquest revealed 180 00:10:12,190 --> 00:10:14,590 that Amy Winehouse had been battling bulimia. 181 00:10:14,590 --> 00:10:18,910 Bulimia is an eating disorder whereby people binge on food 182 00:10:18,910 --> 00:10:22,630 and then attempt to control their weight by purging themselves, 183 00:10:22,630 --> 00:10:26,310 say with laxatives or by self-induced vomiting. 184 00:10:28,230 --> 00:10:30,150 NARRATOR: Southgate, North London. 185 00:10:30,150 --> 00:10:31,950 The year 2000. 186 00:10:33,510 --> 00:10:35,670 Amy Winehouse is 17. 187 00:10:37,430 --> 00:10:41,110 O'SHEA: She's got a new group of friends so she's partying hard. 188 00:10:41,110 --> 00:10:42,270 She's eating. 189 00:10:42,270 --> 00:10:44,150 Again the girls are coming round, 190 00:10:44,150 --> 00:10:48,350 eating, stuffing their faces, let's have double portions. 191 00:10:48,350 --> 00:10:50,110 (CHATTERING) 192 00:10:50,110 --> 00:10:53,150 O'SHEA: At the same time, like every teenage girl, 193 00:10:53,150 --> 00:10:55,830 they're worried about how they're going to look the day after. 194 00:10:55,830 --> 00:10:59,110 Then you get rid of it, puke it up. 195 00:10:59,110 --> 00:11:01,150 You still look good the next day. 196 00:11:01,150 --> 00:11:02,710 (BELCHING) 197 00:11:04,350 --> 00:11:10,590 Whilst a lot of them seem to grow out of that behaviour and improve, Amy didn't. 198 00:11:10,590 --> 00:11:13,190 (COUGHING, BELCHING) 199 00:11:13,190 --> 00:11:16,950 She'd go on a massive food binge for a whole day, 200 00:11:16,950 --> 00:11:20,310 then be sick all night, all the next day 201 00:11:20,310 --> 00:11:23,030 and then starve herself for about five days. 202 00:11:23,030 --> 00:11:25,270 And just live off Haribo for the sugar, 203 00:11:25,270 --> 00:11:28,190 and then eat again probably the next week. 204 00:11:30,550 --> 00:11:31,990 DR JAMES: Bulimia has the potential 205 00:11:31,990 --> 00:11:34,510 for causing serious health problems. 206 00:11:34,510 --> 00:11:38,830 These include rupture of the stomach, damage to the oesophagus 207 00:11:38,830 --> 00:11:42,110 and catastrophic loss of chemicals called electrolytes. 208 00:11:43,670 --> 00:11:47,270 NARRATOR: Electrolytes like sodium and potassium generate energy, 209 00:11:47,270 --> 00:11:50,350 contract muscles and move fluids around the body. 210 00:11:52,030 --> 00:11:55,830 Purging can cause dehydration and the loss of electrolytes. 211 00:11:55,830 --> 00:11:59,670 This can lead to irregular heartbeats and even heart failure. 212 00:12:02,190 --> 00:12:06,470 Amy Winehouse had bulimia and so she could have had electrolyte disturbance. 213 00:12:06,470 --> 00:12:10,550 She was also drinking and we know she had high alcohol levels. 214 00:12:10,550 --> 00:12:14,870 The two of these combined could have affected the function of her heart 215 00:12:14,870 --> 00:12:16,950 and could have stopped her heart beating. 216 00:12:18,870 --> 00:12:22,110 NARRATOR: So, could bulimia have contributed to Amy's death? 217 00:12:22,710 --> 00:12:25,870 Her brother, Alex, believed it was the direct cause 218 00:12:25,870 --> 00:12:27,870 and a former stylist was convinced 219 00:12:27,870 --> 00:12:31,910 Amy died from a combination of bulimia and alcohol 220 00:12:31,910 --> 00:12:35,470 because of the extra pressure her eating disorder put on her body. 221 00:12:36,630 --> 00:12:39,910 Her GP stated at the inquest into her death 222 00:12:39,910 --> 00:12:42,150 that, despite suffering from bulimia, 223 00:12:42,150 --> 00:12:45,070 Amy had refused psychiatric help, 224 00:12:45,070 --> 00:12:48,950 fearing its effect on her creativity as a songwriter. 225 00:12:50,190 --> 00:12:51,830 DR JAMES: These are photographs of Amy 226 00:12:51,830 --> 00:12:54,110 taken three days or so before her death. 227 00:12:54,110 --> 00:12:58,510 She looks happy, healthy, no sign of malnutrition 228 00:12:58,510 --> 00:13:02,510 but in my view, bulimia is very rarely the cause of death. 229 00:13:02,510 --> 00:13:05,150 It can be symptomatic of bigger problems. 230 00:13:05,150 --> 00:13:07,790 So we have to look for clues elsewhere. 231 00:13:09,550 --> 00:13:13,030 NARRATOR: Friday, July the 22nd 2011. 232 00:13:13,030 --> 00:13:14,990 The day before her death. 233 00:13:14,990 --> 00:13:17,510 Camden Square, North London. 234 00:13:17,510 --> 00:13:20,510 At 2:00 p.m., Amy's mother, Janice, pays her a visit. 235 00:13:20,510 --> 00:13:21,510 How are you? 236 00:13:22,270 --> 00:13:25,070 She's not seen her daughter for several weeks. 237 00:13:25,990 --> 00:13:28,550 According to Janice's account of what happened, 238 00:13:28,550 --> 00:13:30,470 Amy is still in bed. 239 00:13:32,070 --> 00:13:35,950 She said that Amy's bodyguard, Andrew, washed her and dressed her. 240 00:13:40,550 --> 00:13:42,830 Janice stated she had to wait half an hour 241 00:13:42,830 --> 00:13:45,630 and that Amy has to be carried downstairs. 242 00:13:48,790 --> 00:13:51,390 She said her daughter reeked of alcohol. 243 00:13:51,390 --> 00:13:53,750 It was coming out of every pore. 244 00:13:53,750 --> 00:13:55,670 She could barely speak. 245 00:13:55,670 --> 00:13:59,150 It's clear that 24 hours before her death, 246 00:13:59,150 --> 00:14:03,470 Amy has been drinking for some time despite attempts to stay sober 247 00:14:04,110 --> 00:14:06,150 and despite knowing the risks. 248 00:14:06,630 --> 00:14:07,910 JANICE: All right, love. 249 00:14:07,910 --> 00:14:11,350 At the inquest, Amy's GP told the coroner 250 00:14:11,350 --> 00:14:14,430 "The advice I'd given to Amy over a long period of time 251 00:14:14,430 --> 00:14:17,790 "was about all the effects alcohol can have on the system 252 00:14:17,790 --> 00:14:20,350 "including respiratory depression and death." 253 00:14:20,830 --> 00:14:24,990 So Amy was well aware of the risks that she presented to herself, 254 00:14:24,990 --> 00:14:27,310 but for some reason she was either unwilling 255 00:14:27,310 --> 00:14:29,310 or unable to follow the advice given. 256 00:14:32,430 --> 00:14:35,950 NARRATOR: Further evidence suggests that Amy's drinking and her bulimia 257 00:14:35,950 --> 00:14:38,390 are the symptoms of a far deeper problem. 258 00:14:40,390 --> 00:14:41,870 As her fame grew, 259 00:14:41,870 --> 00:14:44,590 and her battle with addiction became public knowledge, 260 00:14:44,590 --> 00:14:46,910 Amy was hounded by paparazzi. 261 00:14:47,950 --> 00:14:51,870 Photographs reveal a pattern of profoundly disturbed behaviour. 262 00:14:53,350 --> 00:14:56,790 DR JAMES: So we have a photograph here dated 20th March 2008 263 00:14:56,790 --> 00:14:59,150 and it shows Amy's left upper arm, 264 00:14:59,150 --> 00:15:00,630 and what can be seen 265 00:15:00,630 --> 00:15:06,230 are multiple fine superficial probably incised wounds. 266 00:15:06,230 --> 00:15:10,990 I then look at a further image dated 6th August 2009, 267 00:15:10,990 --> 00:15:12,390 same arm. 268 00:15:12,390 --> 00:15:14,710 The site of injuries have healed up, 269 00:15:14,710 --> 00:15:17,630 but there's new injuries of a similar nature. 270 00:15:17,630 --> 00:15:20,870 These are very, very typical of self-harm injury. 271 00:15:32,030 --> 00:15:33,310 FODEN: Most of the time, 272 00:15:33,310 --> 00:15:36,790 she used to do what I'd call frustration cuts, 273 00:15:37,270 --> 00:15:39,910 so they'd be in places sometimes 274 00:15:39,910 --> 00:15:42,190 that nobody was ever gonna see them 275 00:15:42,190 --> 00:15:44,390 so it wasn't a cry out for help. 276 00:15:44,390 --> 00:15:46,430 It was something that she was doing to herself. 277 00:15:48,270 --> 00:15:51,070 Every day she did some kind of self-harm. 278 00:15:51,750 --> 00:15:53,030 NARRATOR: People who self-harm 279 00:15:53,030 --> 00:15:55,830 claim they cut themselves for various reasons. 280 00:15:59,110 --> 00:16:00,950 MUTANDA: It's a way of managing anxiety 281 00:16:00,950 --> 00:16:04,110 or managing frustration or hurt or anger. 282 00:16:05,350 --> 00:16:07,110 Or just releasing pain. 283 00:16:10,950 --> 00:16:14,390 NARRATOR: The roots of Amy's torment date back to childhood 284 00:16:14,390 --> 00:16:16,910 and the trauma that changed her life. 285 00:16:19,110 --> 00:16:22,710 September 1983, Southgate, North London. 286 00:16:23,790 --> 00:16:27,230 Amy Jade Winehouse was born to a Jewish family, 287 00:16:27,230 --> 00:16:29,470 her father Mitch, a taxi driver 288 00:16:29,470 --> 00:16:32,230 and mother, Janice, a pharmacist. 289 00:16:33,310 --> 00:16:35,110 She was quite tomboyish. 290 00:16:35,110 --> 00:16:38,310 Thought nothing of going out, you know climbing trees and grazing her knees. 291 00:16:38,310 --> 00:16:40,990 She wasn't one for pretty frocks and ribbons. 292 00:16:41,710 --> 00:16:44,110 Just your average kid, basically. 293 00:16:48,790 --> 00:16:50,430 NARRATOR: Mischievous and daring, 294 00:16:50,430 --> 00:16:52,950 Amy had a contented childhood. 295 00:16:56,870 --> 00:16:59,510 But in 1992, aged nine, 296 00:16:59,510 --> 00:17:01,710 her life was thrown into turmoil 297 00:17:01,710 --> 00:17:04,270 when her father left home for another woman. 298 00:17:07,110 --> 00:17:12,870 Mitch Winehouse's departure from the family home utterly devastated Amy 299 00:17:12,870 --> 00:17:15,630 because she didn't see any signs of it coming. 300 00:17:15,630 --> 00:17:19,190 One minute, doting dad's there. The next, he's gone. 301 00:17:22,870 --> 00:17:25,030 MUTANDA: This is the first man she ever loved 302 00:17:25,030 --> 00:17:27,990 and he was leaving the family home for another woman. 303 00:17:27,990 --> 00:17:32,190 Now as a child, they tend to see the world in black and white terms 304 00:17:32,190 --> 00:17:34,630 and she may have self-blamed. 305 00:17:34,630 --> 00:17:39,230 She may have said if I'd only been different, he may have stayed 306 00:17:39,230 --> 00:17:42,830 and I think a child can feel a deep sense of rejection 307 00:17:42,830 --> 00:17:44,870 and loss and abandonment. 308 00:17:45,670 --> 00:17:49,230 It may have left a deep and long-lasting wound 309 00:17:49,230 --> 00:17:51,990 that Amy carried for the rest of her life. 310 00:17:54,350 --> 00:17:57,630 NARRATOR: Later, Amy explained in revealing interviews 311 00:17:57,630 --> 00:18:01,190 that she often used her music to cope with difficult feelings. 312 00:18:03,870 --> 00:18:06,710 Her father, Mitch, maintained regular contact. 313 00:18:18,070 --> 00:18:20,070 But the trauma of abandonment 314 00:18:20,070 --> 00:18:23,510 may have triggered the onset of self-destructive behaviour. 315 00:18:24,910 --> 00:18:28,710 The year her father left, Amy experimented with self-harming. 316 00:18:31,430 --> 00:18:34,950 Amy was nine which is very, very young 317 00:18:34,950 --> 00:18:36,990 to be engaging in that kind of behaviour. 318 00:18:38,350 --> 00:18:42,270 And I wonder if it was an expression of a child 319 00:18:42,270 --> 00:18:46,550 who didn't want anyone to know that she was suffering so deeply, 320 00:18:46,550 --> 00:18:48,630 and didn't want to blame anybody else, 321 00:18:48,630 --> 00:18:51,150 and sort of turned it inwards 322 00:18:51,150 --> 00:18:55,190 as a way of dealing with such deep pain, but secretly. 323 00:18:57,790 --> 00:19:01,430 NARRATOR: At 15, Amy got the first of her many tattoos, 324 00:19:01,950 --> 00:19:04,510 but as she revealed in a magazine interview, 325 00:19:04,510 --> 00:19:07,270 tattooing was another form of self-harm. 326 00:19:08,910 --> 00:19:11,950 "It's a way of suffering for the things that mean a lot to you. 327 00:19:11,950 --> 00:19:15,350 "Actually I like the pain. To me, it relieves you." 328 00:19:20,430 --> 00:19:22,790 As Amy became ever more successful, 329 00:19:22,790 --> 00:19:25,710 her self-destructive behaviour seemed to escalate. 330 00:19:29,070 --> 00:19:34,030 On February 12th 2008, Amy won five Grammy awards, 331 00:19:34,030 --> 00:19:36,270 the crowning achievement of her career. 332 00:19:39,430 --> 00:19:43,790 But in private, her self-harming was spiralling out of control. 333 00:19:44,710 --> 00:19:48,750 Only three weeks earlier, it culminated in the threat of suicide. 334 00:19:50,430 --> 00:19:53,230 January 24th, 2008, 335 00:19:53,230 --> 00:19:54,990 North London. 336 00:19:54,990 --> 00:19:56,910 Three years before her death. 337 00:19:57,710 --> 00:20:00,630 Amy's record label has threatened to stop her working 338 00:20:01,430 --> 00:20:03,070 unless she goes into rehab. 339 00:20:03,070 --> 00:20:05,110 AMY: Stop the car please! - Her father Mitch 340 00:20:05,110 --> 00:20:07,350 says he drives her to a private hospital. 341 00:20:07,350 --> 00:20:09,750 Dad, just let me get out! Stop the car! 342 00:20:09,750 --> 00:20:13,430 She just flipped, panicked and started kicking and screaming, 343 00:20:13,430 --> 00:20:16,070 making a scene, threatening to kill herself. 344 00:20:18,030 --> 00:20:20,590 NARRATOR: Amy repeats the threat in hospital. 345 00:20:20,590 --> 00:20:24,270 An attempt is made to detain her for compulsory assessment, 346 00:20:24,270 --> 00:20:27,070 but staff believe she's not a danger to herself. 347 00:20:27,070 --> 00:20:29,230 (SOBBING) 348 00:20:29,230 --> 00:20:30,710 So she's released. 349 00:20:30,710 --> 00:20:31,990 I don't want to be here. 350 00:20:33,030 --> 00:20:37,470 Amy had a long history of self-destructive and disturbed behaviour, 351 00:20:37,470 --> 00:20:41,150 bulimia, self-harming and suicide threats. 352 00:20:41,150 --> 00:20:44,670 So is it possible she was so hell bent on destroying herself 353 00:20:44,670 --> 00:20:46,630 that she deliberately drank herself to death? 354 00:20:51,230 --> 00:20:54,510 NARRATOR: Friday 22nd July, 6:00 pm. 355 00:20:54,510 --> 00:20:56,830 Camden Square, North London. 356 00:20:58,150 --> 00:20:59,510 Amy, how you've been feeling? 357 00:20:59,510 --> 00:21:02,110 Less than 24 hours before her death, 358 00:21:02,110 --> 00:21:06,230 Amy's GP, Dr Christina Romete, visits her at home. 359 00:21:07,590 --> 00:21:10,670 O'SHEA: Amy told her GP that she didn't want to die. 360 00:21:10,670 --> 00:21:12,150 She's making plans. 361 00:21:12,150 --> 00:21:15,110 She's going to go on holiday to Saint Lucia to celebrate her birthday. 362 00:21:15,110 --> 00:21:16,590 She's got a new boyfriend. 363 00:21:16,590 --> 00:21:18,390 They're talking about getting married. 364 00:21:18,390 --> 00:21:20,990 She's getting her life back on track. 365 00:21:20,990 --> 00:21:24,310 The last thing on her mind is suicide. 366 00:21:24,310 --> 00:21:25,790 I know that... 367 00:21:25,790 --> 00:21:30,310 NARRATOR: Other accounts also suggest Amy is in a positive state of mind. 368 00:21:30,910 --> 00:21:32,990 The day before her doctor's visit, 369 00:21:32,990 --> 00:21:35,990 she had called her friend, songwriter and producer, 370 00:21:35,990 --> 00:21:37,350 Stefan Skarbek. 371 00:21:38,310 --> 00:21:40,470 SKARBEK: She said she was writing some tunes, 372 00:21:40,470 --> 00:21:43,350 working on some of the really old stuff that we'd done, 373 00:21:43,350 --> 00:21:45,230 just playing around with it. 374 00:21:45,230 --> 00:21:48,950 So, chatting about that a bit and new boyfriend, cool? 375 00:21:48,950 --> 00:21:50,430 Yeah, yeah, yeah, great. 376 00:21:51,550 --> 00:21:52,590 Happy, happy. 377 00:21:57,110 --> 00:21:59,230 All the evidence from the inquest suggests 378 00:21:59,230 --> 00:22:01,510 that Amy did not intend to kill herself. 379 00:22:02,310 --> 00:22:06,070 The police found no suspicious circumstances at the scene. 380 00:22:06,070 --> 00:22:07,470 There's no suggestion 381 00:22:07,470 --> 00:22:10,750 that her previous self-harming behaviour had an influence. 382 00:22:11,270 --> 00:22:14,630 The coroner recorded a verdict of misadventure. 383 00:22:14,630 --> 00:22:16,750 So, why was Amy found dead? 384 00:22:17,430 --> 00:22:21,470 NARRATOR: Friday, 22nd of July, 2011. 385 00:22:21,470 --> 00:22:23,510 Camden Square, North London. 386 00:22:23,510 --> 00:22:26,390 10 p.m. The night before Amy's death. 387 00:22:27,390 --> 00:22:30,030 According to her bodyguard, Andrew Morris, 388 00:22:30,030 --> 00:22:32,270 Amy is at home watching videos. 389 00:22:33,750 --> 00:22:35,550 Although she's been drinking, 390 00:22:35,550 --> 00:22:38,590 he says she seems to be her usual bubbly self. 391 00:22:40,910 --> 00:22:45,310 But further evidence heard at the inquest provides a vital clue 392 00:22:45,310 --> 00:22:49,110 and an insight into a darker side of Amy's private life. 393 00:22:50,470 --> 00:22:52,870 Her GP, Dr Christina Romete, 394 00:22:52,870 --> 00:22:56,470 revealed that Amy had previously used marijuana, 395 00:22:56,470 --> 00:22:58,470 heroin and crack cocaine. 396 00:22:59,110 --> 00:23:02,310 Each of these drugs in combination with alcohol, 397 00:23:02,310 --> 00:23:04,590 have the potential for causing death. 398 00:23:05,150 --> 00:23:10,310 The question is, had Amy started using any or all of these drugs again? 399 00:23:11,630 --> 00:23:14,950 NARRATOR: Amy's relationship with drugs was longstanding. 400 00:23:15,990 --> 00:23:17,750 O'SHEA: Amy was around 15 401 00:23:17,750 --> 00:23:21,310 when she first started experimenting with recreational drugs. 402 00:23:21,310 --> 00:23:25,750 She started off on cannabis, then probably went onto weed. 403 00:23:26,510 --> 00:23:30,150 Once she moved to Camden, free of the parental reins, 404 00:23:31,710 --> 00:23:34,950 that sort of took on a new level, but still nothing major. 405 00:23:38,550 --> 00:23:40,670 Entering the music industry 406 00:23:40,670 --> 00:23:44,190 with maybe, drink and drugs more readily available, 407 00:23:44,190 --> 00:23:46,030 would have just been a natural step. 408 00:23:46,550 --> 00:23:48,550 She has got access to excess. 409 00:23:50,630 --> 00:23:52,230 NARRATOR: In 2005, 410 00:23:52,230 --> 00:23:55,070 one year after the release of her debut album, 411 00:23:55,070 --> 00:23:58,750 21-year-old Amy met Blake Fielder-Civil. 412 00:23:58,750 --> 00:24:03,270 They began a relationship that saw a dramatic escalation in her drug use. 413 00:24:03,950 --> 00:24:08,110 Blake Fielder-Civil was something of a Camden chancer. 414 00:24:08,110 --> 00:24:10,030 He was a face on the scene. 415 00:24:10,750 --> 00:24:14,030 He'd tell everybody he was involved in the music business, 416 00:24:14,030 --> 00:24:18,350 when in actual fact, he'd been a gofer on a Lily Allen video. 417 00:24:18,350 --> 00:24:20,390 (PAPARAZZI SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY) 418 00:24:21,830 --> 00:24:23,750 It wasn't a normal love. 419 00:24:23,750 --> 00:24:28,390 It was an obsession, definitely an obsession, like she wanted to be him. 420 00:24:29,630 --> 00:24:34,630 The tattoos, the way she started to speak, her accent changed. 421 00:24:34,630 --> 00:24:39,030 The characteristics in the relationships Amy has with men, 422 00:24:39,030 --> 00:24:44,390 that seem to be very intense, very stormy, 423 00:24:44,390 --> 00:24:49,750 and go from being highly idealised love, almost pedestal love, 424 00:24:50,190 --> 00:24:55,470 to the other extreme, which is almost dislike and devaluation. 425 00:24:55,470 --> 00:24:57,550 Don't want to be with him at all, don't like him. 426 00:24:57,550 --> 00:25:01,030 And they just seem to swing from one state to the other, 427 00:25:01,030 --> 00:25:02,470 but at the extremes. 428 00:25:04,510 --> 00:25:06,150 NARRATOR: Their turbulent relationship 429 00:25:06,150 --> 00:25:08,310 was a spur to Amy's song writing. 430 00:25:08,870 --> 00:25:11,590 He was the inspiration for Back to Black, 431 00:25:11,590 --> 00:25:13,590 the album that made her a star. 432 00:25:15,510 --> 00:25:19,030 But Blake Fielder-Civil was already a class A drug user 433 00:25:19,710 --> 00:25:23,470 and he would play a key role in Amy's spiral into dependency. 434 00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:29,680 April 2007, 435 00:25:29,680 --> 00:25:32,720 four years before her death, East London. 436 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:41,920 In a hotel room with Blake, Amy smokes heroin for the first time. 437 00:25:43,360 --> 00:25:45,520 Within weeks, she's addicted. 438 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:49,080 FODEN: I used to wake her up 439 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:52,160 and the minute that she woke up, she'd roll over, 440 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:55,080 put heroin out on foil, to smoke that, 441 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:58,160 and that was before she'd even surfaced out of the bedroom. 442 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:03,600 She'd see things that weren't real. 443 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:07,440 She'd get paranoid over things that weren't even there. 444 00:26:10,360 --> 00:26:14,320 NARRATOR: Fielder-Civil later confessed he introduced Amy to heroin. 445 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:19,680 BLAKE: I've admitted that I was there when she had it first time. 446 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:21,240 Yeah, it was my doing. 447 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:23,920 I don't know if she would have ever experienced it without me. 448 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:28,480 NARRATOR: Heroin is an illegal, highly-addictive drug. 449 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:30,480 It's readily available on the street. 450 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:34,960 It's processed from morphine, which itself, is derived from poppy plants. 451 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:38,360 On the street, it's cut with a number of other substances, 452 00:26:38,360 --> 00:26:41,160 sugars, such as starches, and powdered milk. 453 00:26:44,360 --> 00:26:46,120 NARRATOR: When heroin is smoked, 454 00:26:46,120 --> 00:26:52,000 opiate molecules bind to, and activate receptors in the reward centre of the brain. 455 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:56,360 This stimulates the release of the chemical, dopamine, 456 00:26:56,360 --> 00:26:59,360 which causes a sensation of pleasure. 457 00:26:59,360 --> 00:27:03,040 With all class A drugs, there is a risk of overdose, 458 00:27:03,040 --> 00:27:07,160 but if you consume heroin and alcohol, 459 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:10,040 and sedative drugs such as Librium, 460 00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:12,000 that risk is greatly increased. 461 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:15,920 NARRATOR: So, had Amy been using drugs 462 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:18,640 as well as alcohol, the night of her death? 463 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:22,560 Friday July the 22nd, 2011. 464 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:25,840 11:30 p.m., Camden Road. 465 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:28,600 Get me something. I need something. 466 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:32,680 According to an account given by a man called Tony Azzopardi, 467 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:35,280 he and Amy are in the back of a taxi cab. 468 00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:43,360 Now this guy says he made a phone call to a drug dealer in Hampstead, 469 00:27:43,360 --> 00:27:46,120 and then he and Amy went by taxi to Hampstead, 470 00:27:46,120 --> 00:27:49,720 where Amy paid £1200 for some crack cocaine and heroin. 471 00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:52,520 NARRATOR: It was reported that Azzopardi says 472 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:55,680 the singer then dropped him off in Archway, North London, 473 00:27:56,440 --> 00:27:59,200 before heading home in the early hours of Saturday. 474 00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:03,560 Amy's family denied the incident took place, 475 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:05,640 but her crack habit was well known. 476 00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:09,600 People should have seen that she was actually really ill 477 00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:10,800 and needed help. 478 00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:13,360 And nobody was helping her. 479 00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:20,600 Smoking crack cocaine can cause a huge number of bad effects. 480 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:26,960 Psychological effects include anxiety, paranoia, bizarre behaviour. 481 00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:31,080 Physical effects include epileptic-like convulsions or heart attacks. 482 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:35,760 Combining crack cocaine with other substances 483 00:28:35,760 --> 00:28:39,120 including alcohol can be even more dangerous. 484 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:43,600 NARRATOR: When alcohol and cocaine are consumed together, 485 00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:48,120 they can produce a third more toxic chemical called coca-ethylene. 486 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:51,800 Coca-ethylene can increase the chance of seizures, 487 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:54,080 heart attacks and even strokes. 488 00:28:57,440 --> 00:29:01,680 Amy had almost died from mixing drugs and alcohol once before. 489 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:07,200 August 6th, 2007. Camden Square. 490 00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:15,840 FODEN: She diced with death all the time. 491 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:18,600 Uh, when it got really bad, 492 00:29:18,600 --> 00:29:23,120 I'd say at the worst points it was when it was a party for six days 493 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:25,520 before you'd even go to sleep. 494 00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:30,400 She'd cry in her sleep and it was so hard to watch 495 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:32,160 because obviously she was still high. 496 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:35,640 She'd whimper all the way through the night. 497 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:37,880 According to an unnamed source, 498 00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:40,160 quoted in a national newspaper, 499 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:42,640 after a three day binge on vodka, 500 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:46,200 heroin, coke, crystal meth and ketamine, 501 00:29:46,200 --> 00:29:47,960 Amy suffers a seizure. 502 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:51,680 Some seizures can cause sudden death. 503 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:56,640 One of the mechanisms can be the regurgitation of stomach contents 504 00:29:56,640 --> 00:29:58,840 into the air passages. 505 00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:02,760 That can cause respiratory depression and respiratory arrest, 506 00:30:02,760 --> 00:30:06,680 the condition which the coroner concluded killed Amy. 507 00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:10,280 NARRATOR: She reportedly suffered 508 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:13,720 at least four further seizures over the following year 509 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:17,640 so could she have died from a drug and alcohol overdose? 510 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:22,480 DR JAMES: Post-mortem results showed there were no tablets in her stomach 511 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:24,040 at the time of her death. 512 00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:27,760 Toxicology results showed there were no illegal drugs in her system 513 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:31,240 which certainly indicates there had been no recent consumption 514 00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:34,360 within the last few days of illegal drugs. 515 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:38,120 There were no drug paraphernalia at her house and at the inquest, 516 00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:42,440 her GP said that she'd not consumed illegal drugs for two years. 517 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:45,360 So despite the fact that illegal drugs 518 00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:47,960 played a big part in Amy's life, 519 00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:52,120 there's no suggestion that illegal drugs played a part in her death. 520 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:57,560 NARRATOR: As a result of the stories circulating about him, 521 00:30:57,560 --> 00:31:01,480 Tony Azzorpardi was interviewed by the police about his involvement 522 00:31:01,480 --> 00:31:04,200 but he was not charged with any offence. 523 00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:09,000 July 23rd, 2011, 524 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:11,480 4 a.m., Camden Square. 525 00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:13,720 (MUSIC PLAYING) 526 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:17,760 According to testimony heard at the inquest, 527 00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:21,000 security guard Andrew Morris is in his bedroom. 528 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:23,680 He can still hear Amy upstairs in her room. 529 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:28,680 From this point on, the precise sequence of events is unknown. 530 00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:31,640 NARRATOR: At some point in the early hours, 531 00:31:31,640 --> 00:31:34,200 Amy goes to the bathroom and vomits. 532 00:31:39,200 --> 00:31:42,000 Still fully clothed, she kicks off her shoes 533 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:44,160 and slumps face down on her bed. 534 00:31:49,280 --> 00:31:53,400 July 23rd, 2011, Camden Square. 535 00:31:57,320 --> 00:31:58,400 Amy! 536 00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:02,480 According to his testimony, at 10 a.m., Andrew looks in on Amy. 537 00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:07,400 He thinks she's still sleeping so he decides to let her rest. 538 00:32:13,560 --> 00:32:14,880 Amy! 539 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:17,160 Amy! 540 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:19,720 At 3:30 pm, 541 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:22,840 Andrew checks on her again and finds she's not moved. 542 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:25,880 Amy! 543 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:29,560 And she isn't breathing. 544 00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:40,480 Ambulance, Camden Square, come on! 545 00:32:43,640 --> 00:32:47,600 Singer Amy Winehouse has been found dead in her London home. 546 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:07,840 It was all over the news and it was an absolute shock. 547 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:11,240 Why did you do it? 548 00:33:12,040 --> 00:33:13,880 You had so much going for you, 549 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:16,600 so much to live for. 550 00:33:20,760 --> 00:33:23,840 I think we all knew that that day was coming 551 00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:26,680 but hoped it would never happen. 552 00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:31,480 I wanted to see her, to say goodbye to her properly 553 00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:34,080 and when obviously we got to the house, 554 00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:37,680 it was a huge crime scene and nobody was allowed inside. 555 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:42,080 So, the last I saw of Amy was her in a body bag. 556 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:51,120 NARRATOR: As news of the tragedy sinks in, 557 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:53,560 the world waits for investigators to explain 558 00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:57,120 why the life of one of the world's brightest musical talents 559 00:33:57,120 --> 00:33:59,120 should end so prematurely. 560 00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:04,840 No one expected the revelations that would follow. 561 00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:08,720 Very deep in the inquest testimony 562 00:34:08,720 --> 00:34:12,400 is evidence of an undiagnosed mental health condition 563 00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:15,880 that no one knew about, not even Amy Winehouse herself. 564 00:34:21,020 --> 00:34:24,860 NARRATOR: There's evidence that Amy had been trying to combat her drinking. 565 00:34:24,860 --> 00:34:29,140 Toxicology test results showed that she had been taking a prescription drug 566 00:34:29,140 --> 00:34:30,460 called Librium, 567 00:34:30,460 --> 00:34:34,100 to manage the effects of withdrawal and addiction. 568 00:34:34,100 --> 00:34:38,260 But as with all drugs, Librium can produce adverse side effects. 569 00:34:39,580 --> 00:34:43,860 The side effects of Librium can include confusion, loss of co-ordination, 570 00:34:43,860 --> 00:34:47,220 drowsiness and seizures, which can be fatal. 571 00:34:47,220 --> 00:34:49,020 In high enough doses, 572 00:34:49,020 --> 00:34:53,380 Librium can trigger respiratory depression, the cause of Amy's death. 573 00:34:55,260 --> 00:34:59,100 NARRATOR: Respiratory depression caused by tranquillisers like Librium 574 00:34:59,100 --> 00:35:02,580 was a contributory factor in the deaths of Marilyn Monroe 575 00:35:02,580 --> 00:35:03,860 and Judy Garland. 576 00:35:04,660 --> 00:35:06,780 And recent research indicates there have been 577 00:35:06,780 --> 00:35:10,460 more than 17,000 tranquilliser-related deaths 578 00:35:10,460 --> 00:35:12,900 in the past 50 years. 579 00:35:12,900 --> 00:35:16,540 So could the side effects of Amy's alcohol withdrawal medication 580 00:35:16,540 --> 00:35:19,820 also be linked to her death? 581 00:35:19,820 --> 00:35:23,340 Librium is only fatal if taken in very large doses. 582 00:35:23,340 --> 00:35:28,380 At the inquest, only small traces of Librium were found in Amy's body. 583 00:35:28,980 --> 00:35:32,220 Librium doesn't appear to have played any part in Amy's death. 584 00:35:34,980 --> 00:35:38,860 NARRATOR: But further testimony heard at the inquest provides vital clues. 585 00:35:40,140 --> 00:35:44,100 Her doctor told the court Amy had started drinking again 586 00:35:44,100 --> 00:35:48,460 on the 20th of July following two weeks of abstinence 587 00:35:48,460 --> 00:35:51,460 and that she'd developed a regular habit 588 00:35:51,460 --> 00:35:55,420 of dry periods off alcohol followed by binging sessions. 589 00:36:01,820 --> 00:36:03,620 This is a key piece of evidence. 590 00:36:03,620 --> 00:36:07,460 Binge drinking after a period of abstinence brings its own risks. 591 00:36:07,460 --> 00:36:11,540 What were previously safe levels of alcohol become unsafe, 592 00:36:11,540 --> 00:36:15,420 putting you at potential risk of respiratory depression and death. 593 00:36:15,900 --> 00:36:21,100 The 48 to 72 hours of drinking after a period of abstinence 594 00:36:21,100 --> 00:36:23,660 are, in my view, what killed Amy. 595 00:36:24,420 --> 00:36:26,540 She'd had a respiratory arrest, 596 00:36:26,540 --> 00:36:29,260 became unconscious and never woke up. 597 00:36:29,900 --> 00:36:32,340 But why did she suddenly relapse? 598 00:36:34,540 --> 00:36:38,660 NARRATOR: The answer is hidden deep in the details of the inquest testimony. 599 00:36:39,380 --> 00:36:42,420 Amy's GP, Dr Christina Romete, 600 00:36:42,420 --> 00:36:45,020 revealed that in the year before her death, 601 00:36:45,540 --> 00:36:49,580 Amy had been examined by a psychiatrist and a psychologist, 602 00:36:50,100 --> 00:36:51,900 and it was recommended she undertake 603 00:36:51,900 --> 00:36:54,820 a course of dialectical behaviour therapy. 604 00:36:56,260 --> 00:36:59,180 Dialectical behaviour therapy is a treatment programme 605 00:36:59,180 --> 00:37:03,980 designed to help a person gain mastery over their destructive emotions 606 00:37:03,980 --> 00:37:06,660 and learn different coping methods 607 00:37:06,660 --> 00:37:09,140 so that they can lead a more positive life. 608 00:37:10,300 --> 00:37:13,980 NARRATOR: It's the breakthrough Dr Payne-James has been looking for. 609 00:37:13,980 --> 00:37:16,780 What's important is that dialectical behaviour therapy 610 00:37:16,780 --> 00:37:20,700 was specifically designed to treat a serious mental health condition 611 00:37:20,700 --> 00:37:23,140 called borderline personality disorder. 612 00:37:24,060 --> 00:37:26,140 And the possibility that Amy Winehouse 613 00:37:26,140 --> 00:37:28,940 had borderline personality disorder 614 00:37:28,940 --> 00:37:32,340 completely alters my understanding of Amy's death. 615 00:37:34,620 --> 00:37:37,100 People with borderline personality disorder 616 00:37:37,100 --> 00:37:40,460 have often suffered extreme reactions to trauma 617 00:37:40,460 --> 00:37:42,620 such as abandonment in childhood. 618 00:37:43,660 --> 00:37:45,420 They are known to engage 619 00:37:45,420 --> 00:37:49,860 in often impulsive and dangerous behaviours such as substance misuse, 620 00:37:49,860 --> 00:37:52,700 alcohol misuse and binge eating. 621 00:37:54,620 --> 00:37:56,780 (COUGHING, BELCHING) 622 00:37:58,020 --> 00:38:02,140 They may have recurring behaviour such as self-harm, 623 00:38:02,140 --> 00:38:04,380 self-cutting or suicide threats. 624 00:38:07,420 --> 00:38:09,860 They may have intense and changeable moods 625 00:38:09,860 --> 00:38:12,660 lasting from a few hours to a few days. 626 00:38:14,020 --> 00:38:18,260 They may have chronic feelings of emptiness and of boredom. 627 00:38:18,260 --> 00:38:21,740 They may have a pattern of intense and stormy relationships 628 00:38:21,740 --> 00:38:23,940 with friends and loved ones. 629 00:38:25,460 --> 00:38:28,060 They may have inappropriate or intense anger, 630 00:38:28,060 --> 00:38:30,820 or difficulty in controlling that anger. 631 00:38:32,100 --> 00:38:34,900 To be diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, 632 00:38:34,900 --> 00:38:36,780 people must have an enduring pattern 633 00:38:36,780 --> 00:38:39,140 of at least five of the symptoms that I've described. 634 00:38:41,220 --> 00:38:46,460 Amy certainly seems to display at least five of those symptoms, 635 00:38:46,460 --> 00:38:49,860 and so I think that it is likely that Amy was suffering 636 00:38:49,860 --> 00:38:51,980 from borderline personality disorder. 637 00:38:52,500 --> 00:38:53,820 (INDISTINCT CHATTERING) 638 00:38:53,820 --> 00:38:54,940 (CAMERAS CLICKING) 639 00:38:55,980 --> 00:39:00,500 It certainly puts a different hue on what happened to Amy, 640 00:39:00,500 --> 00:39:05,420 that maybe some of her behaviours were out of her control 641 00:39:05,420 --> 00:39:08,940 and she didn't quite understand what she was experiencing. 642 00:39:08,940 --> 00:39:12,900 She just probably felt that she was turbulent a lot of the time 643 00:39:12,900 --> 00:39:17,180 and it may have been symptomatic of why she... 644 00:39:17,180 --> 00:39:18,620 Why she died so young. 645 00:39:23,820 --> 00:39:26,380 Borderline personality disorder may have had 646 00:39:26,380 --> 00:39:29,540 a significant contribution to Amy's death, 647 00:39:29,540 --> 00:39:34,140 accounting in part for her lifestyle and towards the end, 648 00:39:34,140 --> 00:39:38,300 her reckless behaviour, her excessive drinking in the last few days 649 00:39:38,300 --> 00:39:41,060 and ultimately, drinking herself to death. 650 00:39:43,900 --> 00:39:46,780 NARRATOR: The causes of borderline personality disorder 651 00:39:46,780 --> 00:39:49,100 are not yet fully understood. 652 00:39:49,100 --> 00:39:51,860 It's often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. 653 00:39:52,780 --> 00:39:56,060 Amy was one of nearly 620,000 people 654 00:39:56,060 --> 00:39:58,900 thought to suffer from the condition in the UK 655 00:39:59,460 --> 00:40:03,460 and yet she repeatedly refused to accept psychiatric help. 656 00:40:04,780 --> 00:40:06,180 MUTANDA: I think it's crucial 657 00:40:06,180 --> 00:40:09,900 that they get the right kind of support to manage their symptoms 658 00:40:09,900 --> 00:40:12,740 so that they can have a better outcome. 659 00:40:12,740 --> 00:40:15,500 But what's so sad and tragic in Amy's case 660 00:40:15,500 --> 00:40:17,100 is that she didn't engage in that. 661 00:40:17,100 --> 00:40:19,900 She didn't get that support, she didn't want that help 662 00:40:19,900 --> 00:40:22,220 and it ended up so tragically for her. 663 00:40:23,460 --> 00:40:25,900 What everybody needed to realise with Amy 664 00:40:25,900 --> 00:40:28,700 was she didn't want to be fixed much. 665 00:40:28,700 --> 00:40:31,380 She was happy the way things were 666 00:40:31,380 --> 00:40:33,620 because it was the only way that she could escape 667 00:40:33,620 --> 00:40:35,460 the madness that was going on around her. 668 00:40:37,460 --> 00:40:39,940 NARRATOR: And there's a further cruel irony. 669 00:40:39,940 --> 00:40:43,140 Chance may also have played a role in her death. 670 00:40:43,660 --> 00:40:47,180 Lying face down can compromise breathing 671 00:40:47,180 --> 00:40:52,060 by compressing the chest, or, perhaps, occluding the mouth or the nose. 672 00:40:54,300 --> 00:40:59,540 Had Amy not been in that position, it's possible she may have survived. 673 00:41:02,940 --> 00:41:06,580 Her name will be linked with the all-time greats 674 00:41:06,580 --> 00:41:09,180 in generations to come. 675 00:41:11,060 --> 00:41:14,860 MILLER: She's a legend really and she's continued the heritage 676 00:41:14,860 --> 00:41:20,340 and the legacy of the likes of Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, 677 00:41:20,340 --> 00:41:23,180 and that will live on. 678 00:41:23,180 --> 00:41:26,100 You know, people will always remember her for that. 679 00:41:26,100 --> 00:41:30,060 Captions edited by Ai-Media ai-media.tv