Judge Rules Liam Payne’s Death Was Due to Attempted Hotel Escape

Judge’s Findings on Liam Payne’s Death

Judge Laura Brugnard, who is overseeing the inquest into Liam Payne’s death, stated that the singer jumped from his hotel balcony in a bid to escape the building while under the influence of drugs.

• READ MORE: Liam Payne 1993–2024: The One Direction star who helped ignite a pop phenomenon

The former One Direction star died on October 16 after falling from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo hotel. Argentine prosecutors later confirmed that the cause of death was multiple injuries, in addition to internal and external bleeding.

Details Surrounding the Charges

In the order received today (December 30), Rolling Stone reported that Brugnard shared new insights regarding the tragic death of the “Strip That Down” singer and updated the charges against five individuals connected to his death.

Charged in connection with his death are Payne’s friend Roger Nores, CasaSur Palermo hotel manager Gilda Martin, front desk manager Esteban Grassi, along with Ezequiel Pereira and Brian Pais.

Nores, Martin, and Grassi are facing charges of wrongful death, with the judge commenting: “I do not believe (Nores, Martin, and Grassi) planned and wanted Payne to die. They did not plan the outcome, but created a legally unacceptable risk.”

The charges stem from their “imprudence and negligence,” leading to Payne’s death. The ruling has reduced Nores’ charges, who initially faced five to 15 years in prison for “abandonment resulting in death.”

The judge highlighted that Nores had assumed a “position of guarantor” to Payne’s family, serving as the singer’s main contact at the hotel. According to the autopsy report, Brugnard further noted that Payne’s “state of vulnerability was evident” when Nores chose to leave the hotel 50 minutes before the tragic fall.

In her ruling, the judge stated that while in an extremely vulnerable and inebriated state, Payne “attempted to leave his room via the balcony” before the fall occurred. “Payne’s consciousness changed, and a balcony appeared in the room. The correct course of action would have been to keep him in a safe place with company until medical assistance arrived,” she commented, adding that the hotel staff who returned him to his room “did not act maliciously” but were “unreasonable” in their actions.

Responses and Further Developments

She continued, stating: “I submit that (Payne) attempted to walk away from the balcony where he was left as the medical examiners noted that he did not lose his balance. That’s how the fall occurred.”

Brugnard also indicated that Nores had a responsibility to consult a doctor, given his obligations to the deceased’s family. He should have done this without relying on hotel staff regarding Payne’s care.

The charges against Nores emerged shortly after he filed a 91-page document in support of his defense against allegations of child abandonment resulting in death.

In the document, Nores contended that he was neither Payne’s doctor nor lawyer and argued that when he left the singer at the hotel on the day of his death, Payne was “greeting fans” and appeared to be in good condition.

“I was a friend who cared deeply for him, who selflessly helped him however I could, using my own resources to assist him, and even then it wasn’t sufficient,” Nores stated. “I do not believe that I deserve the charges currently being brought against me.”

As for Pereira and Pais, who are both accused of supplying drugs to Payne, they may face jail time. In November, Pais admitted that he met the late One Direction singer twice before his death and confessed to using drugs with him but maintained that he never provided any drugs to Payne nor received money from him.

Pais’ lawyer Fernando Madeo Facente has publicly criticized the prosecution, deeming the judge’s decision as “completely arbitrary and illegitimate.”