Three individuals face manslaughter charges, while two more have been charged with drug supply, linked to the death of Liam Payne, who was reportedly seen being “pulled to his room” while unconscious just before he plunged from his balcony in Argentina earlier this year.
The 31-year-old ex-One Direction vocalist fell from the third level of the Casa Sur hotel in Buenos Aires on October 16.
On Monday, Argentina’s public prosecutions department announced that three individuals face charges of manslaughter, particularly for negligent homicide.
These included Payne’s friend Roger Nores, the manager of the hotel where he stayed, Gilda Martín, and Esteban Grassi, the head of reception.
Braian Paiz, a server at a dining establishment in Puerto Madero, a wealthy district of Buenos Aires, along with Ezequiel Pereyra, a worker at Casa Sur, faced charges for distributing drugs and were arrested.
Read more: ‘Pink cocaine’ was allegedly in Liam Payne’s bloodstream when he passed away
Nores, portrayed as Payne’s companion and agent during his time in Argentina, faced allegations of “forsaking [Payne] to his destiny, aware that he couldn’t care for himself” and “having complete awareness of the level of intoxication, vulnerability, and helplessness in which he was situated.”
The accusations indicate that Martín was in the hotel lobby, where Payne had been before he died, and that she observed the singer was “unable to stand because of using several substances.”
They also claim she “permitted Payne to go to his room just before his death” and that the balcony there “posed a risk.” The accusations claim she ought to have ensured his “safety in a location devoid of hazards, accompanied by others, and until he received medical attention.”
Grassi is accused of having “guided a team of three individuals who pulled Payne to his room just before his demise.”
Judge Laura Bruniard, the leader of national criminal and correctional court No 34, stated: “Taking Payne to room 310 in that condition, where he was residing, posed a legally intolerable risk to his life.”
Bruniard stated, “the testimonies collected by the prosecutor demonstrated that Payne had a history of addiction,” and an autopsy revealed “a significant presence of cocaine and alcohol.”
She mentioned that hotel staff also witnessed him asking for cocaine and alcohol.
The judge stated that the singer appeared unconscious and was being pulled “by three individuals” and “the manner in which he was treated indicates a state of weakness.”
She mentioned that Martín and Grassi were spotted outside Payne’s hotel room shortly before he was discovered dead on the patio of the restaurant.
“Payne’s awareness was transformed, and a balcony appeared in the room.” “The right action was to leave him in a secure location and with others until a doctor showed up,” Bruniard stated. “I think that the [manager and head of reception] did not intend harm regarding the singer’s death, but they were careless in permitting him to be taken to the room.”
Bruniard also stated her belief that Payne did not faint and that in his intoxicated condition he attempted to exit through the balcony and fell, “as the forensic specialists observed that he did not lose his balance.”
Forensic specialists determined that Payne landed on the hotel restaurant’s patio “with no indication of defense,” resulting in numerous injuries to his body, especially to his head, after striking the concrete support of an umbrella directly.
Bruniard stated that Nores “had taken on a guarantor role to the family of the deceased,” and that video evidence depicted him exiting Casa Sur at 4:11 PM, 50 minutes prior to Payne’s death.
She stated that “at that time, considering the autopsy findings, Payne’s level of susceptibility was clear” and Nores “could not rely on the remaining hotel staff to behave properly.” Nores has been stopped from departing the country before a trial.
She determined that “the three individuals facing prosecution [for manslaughter] have played a role, albeit not intentionally, in establishing a risk that led to Payne’s death, whether through action or inaction.”
Pereyra is charged with supplying cocaine to Payne, for a payment, on 15 and 16 October, while Paiz faces accusations of delivering cocaine to the singer twice on 14 October, reportedly checking into Payne’s hotel room between 3:25am and 8:15am.
Bruniard stated that “Payne requested cash at the reception desk while the defendant remained in his room.” Later that morning, it is claimed Payne took a taxi to Paiz’s residence to collect additional cocaine.
Pereyra allegedly got $100 from Payne in return for drugs, and on another instance, the singer dispatched a vehicle to his residence to obtain more.
Fernando Madeo, an attorney representing Paiz, stated that his client used narcotics but refuted allegations of selling drugs to Payne. “He mentioned that he encountered Liam on two occasions.” “Among various matters discussed in a private setting, they also used narcotics, but it is false to say that he sold him drugs,” Madeo stated.
Madeo stated that Paiz had been a “lifelong One Direction fan” who encountered Payne while he was dining at the restaurant where Paiz was employed, subsequently they “got high together,” but he noted that Paiz “wasn’t the dealer.”
Individuals accused of culpable homicide can receive a prison term of up to five years, whereas those implicated in supplying narcotics can be sentenced to between four and 15 years in prison.
Payne, hailing from Wolverhampton in the West Midlands, gained recognition in 2010 when he competed on The X Factor and was chosen to join One Direction, which eventually became one of the top-selling boybands in history.
Following One Direction’s announcement of a hiatus in 2016, Payne debuted his solo album, LP1, in December 2019.
