Five people have reportedly been charged in connection with the death of Liam Payne.
The One Direction star died on October 16 after falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires. A post-mortem examination found that the singer died of multiple traumas and ‘internal and external haemorrhage.’
Among the group charged are the 31-year-old singer’s friend Roger Nores. Members of staff at the CasaSur Palermo hotel, including chief receptionist Esteban Grassi and head of security Gilda Martin have allegedly been charged with manslaughter.
Waiter Braian Nahuel Paiz, 24, and hotel employee Ezequiel David Pereyra, 21, have been accused of selling Liam drugs and given 24 hours to return to court, according to local news site Infobae, the Mirror reports. Liam’s pal Roger Nores has been reportedly charged with negligent homicide and been banned from leaving the country.
Hotel workers made two 911 phone calls before Liam was found dead. A caller appearing to be the chief receptionist said they had a guest who had taken ‘too many drugs and alcohol’ and was ‘trashing the entire room’. In a second call, the same caller warned the guest’s life ‘may be in danger’ as the room had a balcony.
The latest update comes after Liam’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy spoke about her grief and sadness on her first Christmas without him.
In an Instagram Story post on Christmas Eve, Cassidy advised others to ‘be gentle’ with those around them during the Christmas period and sent her love to those ‘carrying grief’.
The message read: “As the holidays are here, I realise it is a time for happiness and joy, but it is also a time of sadness and grief for so many. Be gentle with those around you this time of year, as the holidays can feel different for everyone.”
It continued: “Sending all my love to those carrying grief this holiday. I hope the seasons bring you comfort and peace. Wishing everyone a love-filled and healthy holiday season this year.”
Before the funeral, prosecutors in Argentina ruled out third party involvement and ‘self-harm’ in Payne’s death, according to a forensic psychiatric report.
“Although other medical background information from the victim’s clinical history must still be analysed, the phenomenon of the lack of defence or self-preservation reflex in the fall, together with other relevant data from his consumption, allow us to conclude that Liam Payne was not fully conscious or was experiencing a state of noticeable decrease or loss of consciousness at the time of the fall,” prosecutors said in a translated statement.
The office also said it had completed a detailed analysis of more than 800 hours of video footage from security cameras and obtained several dozen testimonies from hotel staff, family members, friends and medical professionals. While Nine raids were ordered on properties in Buenos Aires and some of Liam’s devices were analysed for evidence.
Payne died from multiple injuries as well as internal and external bleeding caused by the fall, a post-mortem examination said. His body was found in the hotel’s internal courtyard.
After his death, police found substances in his hotel room, and damaged objects and furniture, according to the public prosecutor’s office. Fans from across the globe held vigils and music stars paid tribute after Payne died on October 16.
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