In a recent ruling by an Argentine court, charges of criminal negligence have been dismissed against three of the five individuals indicted in connection with the tragic death of Liam Payne, a former member of the popular boy band One Direction. This incident occurred last October when Payne fell from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. The decision was made public Thursday after being obtained by various media outlets.
The Argentine federal appeals court, which issued its decision on Wednesday, has mandated that the remaining two defendants in the case continue to be held in custody. These two individuals face serious accusations for allegedly providing narcotics to the well-known British singer just before his untimely death.
Those who were exonerated include Rogelio Nores, an Argentine businessman with dual citizenship in the U.S., who was accompanying Payne during his stay, Gilda Martin, who managed the CasaSur Hotel located in the Palermo district where the tragedy occurred, and the hotel’s main receptionist, Esteban Grassi.
In Argentina, negligent homicide can result in prison sentences ranging from one to five years. A toxicology report following an autopsy indicated that the 31-year-old singer had a combination of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his system when he fell.
Prosecutors maintained that Nores neglected his duty of care by leaving Payne unsupervised while he was inebriated. However, the court sided with the defense, which argued that Nores held no legal or moral obligation to oversee Payne, particularly since he was outside the hotel when the incident occurred.
On the day of the event, Martin and Grassi noticed Payne, who was extremely intoxicated, in the hotel lobby and decided to assist in getting him back to his room, as determined by investigators. Prosecutors claimed that taking Payne to his room, where a balcony presented a significant danger, should have been avoided until he could receive proper medical attention. However, the court concluded that the prosecution did not provide sufficient evidence to show that their actions were “unlawful, unruly, clumsy, reckless, imprudent, or negligent.”
The court also ruled for the continued detention of Ezequiel David Pereyra, a former employee of CasaSur Hotel, and Braian Paiz, a waiter who served Payne at an upscale restaurant shortly before his death. Both individuals are facing charges of supplying drugs to Payne, and the seriousness of these charges—carrying potential sentences of four to fifteen years—justified their preventative detention.
Liam Payne’s sudden death has elicited profound sorrow worldwide, particularly among devoted fans of One Direction, a band that ranks among the best-selling of all time.
