Five charged in connection with singer’s death
Argentine authorities say five people have been charged in connection with the death of One Direction singer Liam Payne in Argentina.
The 31-year-old star died after falling from a third-floor balcony of a Buenos Aires hotel on October 16.
The Argentine prosecutor’s office said the hotel’s manager Gilda Martin, receptionist Esteban Grassi and Payne’s friend Roger Nores were charged with the crime. Guilty of manslaughter.
Ezequiel Pereyra, who also worked at the hotel, and waiter Braian Paiz were charged with supplying the drugs.
Under Argentina’s legal system, the prosecutor’s office collects evidence and then presents it to a judge, who must decide whether to proceed with a trial.
Judge Laura Bruniard made the decision to proceed to the next stage on Friday, according to a statement released by the prosecutor’s office.
The defendant’s attorney can appeal the decision. If their appeal is unsuccessful, the trial phase begins.
In court documents, Judge Bruniard listed the charges against five suspects, naming them by their initials as is customary in court documents at this stage of the proceedings.
- Hotel employee EDP allegedly sold Liam Payne cocaine on October 15-16
- Waiter BNP is also suspected of selling cocaine to Liam Payne twice on October 14
- Payne’s friend RLN is suspected of manslaughter because he “abandoned the singer knowing that he was incapable of protecting himself and knowing that he (Payne) was suffering” and failed to perform his duties to the singer “to care for, assist and assist” and duty to help”. From multiple addictions”
- Hotel manager GAM was charged with manslaughter after allegedly failing to prevent Payne from being taken to his hotel room moments before his death. According to court documents, given Payne’s condition, the room’s balcony posed a “serious threat” and managers should have ensured Payne was kept in a safe location until medical help arrived.
- Chief receptionist ERG was also charged with manslaughter after he allegedly asked the trio to “drag” Payne, who was unable to stand, to his room rather than keeping him safe.
Judge Bruniard said she did not believe Liam Payne’s friends, hotel manager and receptionist “planned or wished Payne’s death” but their actions had posed a “risk” to his life.
If convicted, the trio could face one to five years in prison.
Penalties for supplying drugs are more severe, with penalties ranging from 4 to 15 years in prison.
Judge Bruniard ordered two men accused of supplying the drugs to be remanded in custody.
They have been summonsed to appear in court within 24 hours.
In November, the prosecutor’s office said toxicology tests showed traces of alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants in Payne’s system.
An autopsy determined his cause of death was “multiple traumatic injuries” and “internal and external bleeding” caused by falling from a hotel balcony.
Medical reports also indicate Payne may have been semi-conscious or fully comatose, according to the prosecutor’s office.
The prosecutor’s office said this ruled out the possibility of Payne acting consciously or voluntarily, and they concluded that the singer did not know what he was doing and did not understand his actions.
Following Payne’s death, Roger Noress told US celebrity news outlet TMZ that he was a “very good friend” of the singer and that they spent time together on the day of Payne’s death.
He said Payne “seemed fun and happy” when he left the musician about an hour before he fell from the balcony.
After Payne’s death, police found a number of substances in his hotel room, along with damaged items and furniture.
It was previously reported that hotel staff called emergency services twice to say they had a guest who had taken “too many drugs and alcohol” and “stained the whole room”.
Payne appeared on The X Factor and rose to fame in the 2010s with boy band One Direction before the band went on indefinite hiatus in January 2016, becoming one of the biggest names in pop .
singer’s held a funeral Last month in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.
His former bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik were among the mourners, as well as Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy and ex-partner Cheryl, with whom Payne has a son.
