Liam Payne‘s death investigation has led to five people being charged in connection with the singer’s fatal fall from a Buenos Aires, Argentina, hotel balcony on October 16.
A press release from the Public Prosecutor’s Office on Monday, December 30, said Judge Laura Bruniard of the National Criminal and Correctional Court No. 34 determined each “contributed to creating a risk that resulted in Payne’s death.”
Two of the defendants — a Casa Sur Palermo hotel employee and a waiter — are accused of supplying cocaine to Liam and were remanded in custody. They face between four to 15 years in prison
The hotel’s manager and a receptionist, as well as Liam’s representative, are charged with negligent homicide. In the press release, all five were referenced by their initials, while the BBC printed their full names.
The trio face between one to five years in prison “through imprudence, negligence, lack of skill in their art or profession or failure to observe the regulations or duties in their charge causes the death of another.”
Judge Bruniard pointed out evidence of a photograph that corresponded to the footage taken by a camera in the hotel lobby, where at 4:54 p.m. Liam was seen unconscious and being dragged “by three people.”
“The way he was being handled shows a state of vulnerability,” the judge said, referring to the hotel manager and receptionist, stating that “bringing Payne up in that state to room 310 where he was staying was creating a legally disapproved risk to his life.”
“Payne’s consciousness was altered and there was a balcony in the room. The proper thing to do was to leave him in a safe place and with company until a doctor arrived. The people responsible at the hotel that day were the manager GAM and the head of reception ERG,” she added.
“In this specific case, I do not consider that N. (representative), M. (manager) or G. (head of reception) planned and wanted Payne’s death. They did not imagine the outcome, but they created a legally disapproved risk. M. created this, in his role as manager of the establishment, by allowing Payne to go up to room 310. G. did so by leading the group of people who took Payne to the aforementioned room. […] What happened was foreseeable,” the judge said.
“In the case of N. (representative), he should have consulted a doctor given the commitment made to the family of the deceased. He should have done this without relying on what the hotel employees could do,” the judge assessed.
Liam was in Argentina with girlfriend Kate Cassidy after flying to Buenos Aires to attend friend and former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan‘s October 2 concert. The “Strip That Down” singer stayed on in South America, eventually checking in to the Casa Sur Palermo hotel after Kate grew homesick and flew back to Miami on October 14, two days before Liam’s death.
An employee at the hotel called 911 prior to Liam’s death, claiming the singer “overindulged on drugs and alcohol” according to audio obtained via local media by Telemundo.
“Well, when he is conscious, he breaks, he is breaking the whole room,” the employee told the 911 dispatcher. “Well, we need you to send someone, please.”
After stating that the police were needed “urgently,” the staff member explained that they believed the guest was at risk. “The guest is in a room that has a balcony and, well, we are a little afraid that he might do something life-threatening,” the caller said.
