Second Amy Winehouse inquest confirms alcohol death

LONDON - A second coroner's inquest confirmed Tuesday that Amy Winehouse died of accidental alcohol poisoning when she resumed drinking after a period of abstinence.

Coroner Shirley Radcliffe ruled that the 27-year-old soul singer "died as a result of alcohol toxicity" and recorded a verdict of death by misadventure. She said there were no suspicious circumstances.

She said that Winehouse "voluntarily consumed alcohol --  a deliberate act that took an unexpected turn and led to her death."

The Grammy-winning singer was found dead at her London home on July 23, 2011.

Radcliffe said a postmortem had found that Winehouse had a blood alcohol level five times the legal driving limit, and above a level that can prove fatal.

She said that that much alcohol could affect the central nervous system so much that a patient could "fall asleep and not wake up."

Winehouse's family did not attend the 45-minute inquest, which was held after the original coroner was found to lack the proper qualifications for the job.

The coroner later resigned after her qualifications were questioned. She had been hired by her husband, the senior coroner for inner north London.

The first inquest in 2011 produced an identical verdict.