Court Drops Charges Against Three Defendants in Liam Payne’s Death Case

An Argentine court has dropped charges of criminal negligence against three defendants in the case of British singer Liam Payne, former One Direction member, who died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires last October. However, two other defendants remain in custody for allegedly supplying him with drugs.

According to the ruling issued on Wednesday by Argentina’s Federal Court of Appeals, American-Argentine businessman Rogelio Núñez, CasaSur Palermo hotel manager Gilda Martín, and chief receptionist Esteban Grassi were acquitted of involuntary manslaughter charges, which carry a prison sentence of one to five years in Argentina.

The toxicology report revealed that Liam Payne, 31, was under the influence of alcohol, cocaine, and an antidepressant at the time of his death. Prosecutors had accused Núñez of failing to provide necessary care, but the court ruled that he had no legal or moral obligation to do so, especially since he was not present at the hotel during the incident.

The court also cleared the hotel staff, ruling that escorting Payne to his room despite his unstable condition was neither unlawful nor an act of deliberate negligence.

On the other hand, the court ordered the continued detention of Ezequiel David Pereira, a former hotel employee, and Brian Báez, the waiter who had served Payne drinks at a luxury restaurant before his death. They face charges related to supplying drugs, which carry a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

Liam Payne’s death sparked a global wave of grief among One Direction fans, as the band remains one of the best-selling music groups in history.