Argentine Court Clears 3 Individuals Connected to Liam Payne’s Death of Charges
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina—A court in Argentina has decided to drop charges of criminal negligence against three of the five people involved in the death of Liam Payne, the former One Direction singer who tragically fell from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires last October. The ruling, obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday, reveals that the other two defendants will remain in custody and face prosecution for providing narcotics to the British star.
The court’s decision absolves Rogelio Nores, Gilda Martin, and Esteban Grassi, who were key figures in the case. Nores, an Argentine businessman with US citizenship, was with Payne during his trip to Buenos Aires, while Martin managed the CasaSur Hotel where the incident occurred and Grassi was the hotel’s main receptionist.
The negligent homicide charge carries a sentence of one to five years in prison in Argentina. The toxicology report showed that Payne, aged 31, had alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his system at the time of the accident.
Prosecutors argued that Nores had neglected his duty of care by leaving Payne unattended while intoxicated. However, the court sided with the defense, stating that Nores had no obligation to supervise Payne and was not present at the time of the tragedy.
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On the day of the incident, Martin and Grassi found Payne heavily intoxicated in the hotel lobby and, along with others, decided to take him to his room. Prosecutors believe that Payne should have been kept away from his room, considering the danger posed by the balcony, until he could receive proper medical attention. However, the court ruled that the prosecutors failed to demonstrate how taking Payne to his room constituted negligent behavior.
Pereyra and Paiz, former employees linked to Payne’s drug supply, will remain in detention due to the serious charges they face. As the potential sentence ranges from four to 15 years in prison, their continued detention was deemed necessary by the court.
Payne’s untimely death led to an outpouring of grief from fans worldwide, mourning the loss of the beloved One Direction member.
By Almudena Calatrava
