In connection to the demise of former One Direction member Liam Payne, authorities have charged three individuals with manslaughter and two others with drug supply. The 31-year-old singer breathed his last after a tragic fall from the third floor of the hotel Casa Sur in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the 16th of October 2024.
According to confirmation from the Public Prosecutions Ministry of Argentina, the three people charged with manslaughter are specifically undergoing the charges of negligent homicide, and they are Liam Payne‘s friend Roger Nores, the hotel manager Gilda Martín, and the reception head Esteban Grassi.
The prosecutor charged Nores for leaving Payne even after being well aware of his state of intoxication and vulnerability. Authorities confirm Martín’s presence at the hotel lobby during the time when she notices Payne’s inebriated state due to substance consumption and still allows the concerned people to take him to his room where the balcony is a source of risk instead of keeping him safe and under observation until the arrival of medical care. Besides that Grassi is facing charges for leading a group of three people to drag Liam to his room moment before his death.
Besides these three individuals, among the five facing charges, two others are Braian Paiz, a restaurant waiter, and Ezequiel Pereyra, an employee of Casa Sur. These two individuals are facing detention as per the accusation of supplying narcotics to Payne on multiple occasions.
Here are a few more details in the death case of Liam Payne from the Judge’s bench.
As per Judge Laura Bruniard’s statement, the testimonies and autopsy findings confirm Liam Payne‘s history of substance abuse due to the presence of cocaine and alcohol in large quantities at the time of his death. Moreover, as per the security footage, Payne is seen to be unconscious and being dragged by three people. The judge further criticized the hotel staff for failing to ensure Payne’s safety and stated that leaving him near a balcony in a vulnerable state was dangerous, life-threatening, and reckless. As per the autopsy reports, Liam fell to his death onto a concrete surface, thereby suffering fatal head injuries.
According to the law, those who are undergoing charges of manslaughter can face up to five years in prison, and those with drug charges can get sentences of four to fifteen years
Also read: Liam Payne Passes Away Following Fatal Fall at Buenos Aires Hotel
