An Argentinian court has overturned the criminal negligence charges against three of the five defendants in the death of One Direction singer Liam Payne. Payne fell from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires last October, triggering grief among fans worldwide. The ruling brings a new development to the case, but the investigation is still ongoing.
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02-21, 2025On Wednesday local time, the Argentinian Federal Court of Appeals issued a ruling ordering the continued detention of the other two defendants in the case. They face charges of supplying drugs to the famous British boy band star before Payne fell from the balcony of the CasaSur Hotel in the Palermo neighborhood. This decision underscores the seriousness of the allegations against them.
The ruling overturned the charges against three key defendants: Rogelio Nores, an Argentinian businessman who accompanied Payne during his trip; Gilda Martin, the manager of the CasaSur Hotel; and Esteban Grassi, the hotel's head receptionist. In Argentina, the penalty for manslaughter ranges from one to five years. The dismissal of charges against these individuals marks a significant shift in the legal proceedings.
Toxicology reports following the autopsy revealed that the 31-year-old Payne had alcohol, cocaine, and prescription antidepressants in his system when he fell from the balcony. Prosecutors argued that Mr. Nores failed to fulfill his duty of care by leaving Payne alone while intoxicated. The court supported the defense's argument that Mr. Nores had no legal, moral, or social obligation to care for Payne. Furthermore, Mr. Nores was not inside the hotel when Payne died. This highlights the complexity of determining responsibility in such cases.
Investigators determined that on October 16, hotel employees Martin and Grassi saw Payne severely intoxicated in the CasaSur Hotel lobby and decided to take him back to his room with the help of others. Prosecutors stated that Payne should have been kept away from the hotel room until he could receive proper medical care, as the balcony presented an obvious danger. On Wednesday, the court ruled that prosecutors failed to prove that taking Payne back to his hotel room "constituted an illegal, unruly, clumsy, reckless, imprudent, or negligent act." The court emphasized the need for clear evidence of negligence to support criminal charges.
The court also ordered the continued detention of the other two defendants in the case – Ezequiel David Pereyra, a former CasaSur Hotel employee, and Braian Paiz, a Buenos Aires restaurant waiter – on charges of supplying drugs to Payne. The court stated that preventative detention was justified because they face charges with a sentence of four to fifteen years. This decision reflects the court's concern about the potential flight risk and the seriousness of the alleged offenses.
