Liam Payne in London in February 2023.Photo:David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty
David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty
Liam’s Payne’s friend and workers at the hotel where the singer died have beencleared of charges.
Rolling Stoneand theBBCreported on Wednesday, Feb. 19, that Roger Nores, along with Gilda Martin and Esteban Grassi, two employees of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel had charges against them dropped after a hearing in Argentina’s National Criminal and Correctional Court.
Nores, Martin and Grassiwere charged with manslaughterin December relating to Payne’s death. They each would have faced one to five years in prison if found guilty, the BBC reported.
Ezequiel Pereyra andBraian Paiz, who have been accused of selling Payne drugs, will remain in prison as they await trial. If convicted, they could face four to 14 years behind bars.
Liam Payne in London in March 2023.Karwai Tang/WireImage
Karwai Tang/WireImage
“It is possible that, if he had stayed in his company at all times, [Payne] would not have obtained the drugs and alcohol in the quantities necessary for the state of intoxication he exhibited at the time of his death,” the ruling stated.
“But it cannot be ruled out that, even if he had taken those extreme precautions… that [Payne] would have managed to obtain the substances anyway, as is common among addicts, even when they are under the loving care of their family.”
Nores had been charged in December after prosecutors alleged he failed “to fulfill his duties of care, assistance and aid” for Payne after he allegedly “abandoning him to his fate,” aware that the singer suffered from “multiple previous addictions.”
Liam Payne in Dubai in January 2023.Jeff Spicer/Getty
Jeff Spicer/Getty
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The court also ruled that Nores' responsibility was no different than Payne’s family, referring to an email Nores sent to Payne’s father in August 2024 where he shared his concern for the One Direction alum.
“Despite accusing Nores of failing to communicate and raise alarms with the victim’s family, they remained silent about the email through which the accused had expressed his concerns and warned that he would not be able to look after Payne’s health,” the court docs stated.
Per prosecutors, Martin, head of security at CasaSur Palmero Hotel, had been initially accused of failure to prevent Payne from going up to his hotel room before his death.
Prosecutors also claimed that Grassi, the chief receptionist who called emergency services just before Payne died, asked three people to “drag” Payne, who was unable to stand, to his hotel room instead of keeping him safe.
The judges determined that there was not enough evidence against the CasaSur Palermo employees to have engaged in “thoughtless, reckless, or merely negligent behavior” regarding Payne’s death.
Liam Payne in London in January 2018.Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty
Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty
Payne died on Oct. 16, 2024in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after falling from the CasaSur Palermo Hotel’s balcony. He was 31 years old.
A preliminary autopsy after he died stated that he died ofmultiple injuries and “internal and external” hemorrhages.According to his toxicology reportreleased in November, Payne had “alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants” in his body.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
source: people.com
