A close friend of the former One Direction member is also among the defendants.
Singer Liam Payne, former member of the boy band One Direction, died on October 16, 2024 after falling from the 3rd floor balcony of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Now five people have been charged in connection with his death, one of them a good friend of the musician.
The Argentine public prosecutor’s office was quickly able to attribute the cause of death to multiple traumas as well as internal and external bleeding. Additionally, a toxicology report revealed that the singer had several substances in his system at the time of his death, including pink cocaine. After the 31-year-old’s tragic death, many fans and celebrities campaigned for more protection for people who are in the public eye at an early age and are exposed to high pressure.
“I was a friend who loved him very much”
One of the defendants in Liam Payne’s death is his close friend Roger Nores, as Infobae reports. The multimillionaire is accused of negligent homicide. He was banned from leaving the country. The indictment comes just days after Nores filed a 91-page document to support his defense against charges of neglect resulting in death. The document states, among other things, that he was neither Payne’s doctor, nor his lawyer or representative, but merely served as his sidekick. When he left Payne at the hotel on the day of his death, he appeared to be fine and was “greeting fans.”
“I was a friend who loved him very much, who selflessly helped him in any way I could, who spent my own money to help him, and even then it wasn’t enough,” Nores said. “I believe that I do not deserve the allegations made against me.”
Nores also pointed out that Payne’s drug use had often put him in life-threatening situations.
Four employees also charged
In addition to Roger Nores, four hotel employees were charged. The two hotel managers, Gilda Martin and Esteban Grassi, were charged with manslaughter, while employees Braian Paiz and Ezequiel Pereyra were accused of supplying Payne with drugs. Pais admitted in November that he had met the singer twice before his death and had taken drugs with him. However, he made it clear that he never supplied Payne with drugs or accepted money from him.