Liam Payne in white dress shirt

Liam Payne's Family Reportedly Feels 'Justice' Is 'Possible' Now That Five People Are Charged Over His Death

Home / Entertainment / Liam Payne's Family Reportedly Feels 'Justice' Is 'Possible' Now That Five People Are Charged Over His Death

By Favour Adegoke on December 31, 2024 at 10:45 PM EST

Liam Payne's family reportedly has hope that the singer will get "justice" as five individuals face charges in connection to the singer's death.

The five suspects have been linked to the unfortunate incident, including hotel manager Gilda Martin, Payne's good friend Roger Nores, and waiter Braian Paiz.

Roger Nores, who faces negligent homicide charges for allegedly abandoning Liam Payne, has since denied the claims made against him.

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Liam Payne's Family Seeks to Justice As Legal Charges Progress In Son's Tragic Death

Liam Payne at Capital's Jingle Bell Ball at The O2 Arena in London, UK - 07 Dec 2019
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After enduring a painful first Christmas without their son, Payne's family is clinging onto hope as five individuals face charges related to his tragic death, believing that justice may finally be within reach.

A family friend told The Sun, "It's been a very difficult Christmas for them, but they now just want justice for their son. Finally, after a horrific couple of months, there is a feeling like this could be possible."

On Monday, it was announced that Judge Laura Bruniard has moved forward with legal action against all the suspects involved in Payne's death after prosecutors presented evidence.

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The Argentine National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office identified the suspects by their initials: hotel manager Gilda Martin, receptionist Esteban Grassi, and Payne's friend Rogelio 'Roger' Nores.

Additionally, hotel worker Ezequiel Pereyra and waiter Braian Paiz face charges related to the cocaine supply.

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The Singer's Friend Has Been Accused Of Negligent Homicide

Liam Payne at Vogue party for LFW at the Londoner hotel
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According to the Daily Mail, prosecutors have held Nores "criminally responsible" for Payne's death, accusing him of neglecting his duty of care.

They claim Nores "abandoned" Payne despite "knowing that he was incapable of caring for himself, knowing that the accused suffered from multiple previous addictions - to alcohol and cocaine - and having full knowledge of the state of intoxication, vulnerability, and helplessness in which he found himself."

Judge Bruniard stated that Nores "is responsible for the crime of negligent homicide as the perpetrator given that he had assumed a position of guarantor in front of the family of the deceased."

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Evidence reportedly shows Nores was at the hotel about 50 minutes before Payne's fatal fall, and the judge emphasized that he "should have consulted a doctor" and "should have done this without relying on what the hotel employees could do."

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Twp Hotel Staff Were Charged For Allegedly Neglecting A Passed Out Liam Payne

Liam Payne
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Prosecutors allege that hotel staff Martin and Grassi saw Payne intoxicated in the lobby but failed to offer medical aid.

The judge noted that Payne "was unable to care for himself" on the day of his death and that footage showed him being dragged "by three people" while unconscious.

She noted that while she believed that Nores and the two hotel employees charged with manslaughter did not intend to cause Payne's death, their actions and decisions contributed to the increased danger to his life.

The Singer's Friend Denies The Abandonment Claims

Liam Payne
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In a documentary by TMZ investigating Payne's death, Nores defended his actions, claiming that Payne was "in good spirits and perfectly balanced" on the day he tragically died, dismissing allegations that the singer was intoxicated or acting erratically before his fatal fall from the hotel balcony on October 16.

In a statement last month, Nores said, "I never abandoned Liam, I went to his hotel three times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened. There were over 15 people at the hotel lobby chatting and joking with him when I left."

He added: "I could have never imagined something like this would happen."

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Nores, who was not officially Payne's manager but described him as a dear friend, further explained that he gave a statement to prosecutors as a witness the day after the incident but had not spoken to law enforcement since.

"I wasn't Liam's manager. He was just my very dear friend," Nores said, per the Daily Mail.

Waiter Denies Selling Cocaine To Liam Payne, Claims Drugs Were For Personal Use

Liam Payne seen here performing at the Torino's Olympic Stadium
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Meanwhile, waiter Paiz faces allegations of supplying cocaine to Payne during the early hours of October 15 and 16. Another defendant, Ezequiel Pereyra, is accused of providing cocaine to Payne on October 14.

Paiz, however, claims that the drugs he provided were not sold for money, and he insists that he only sought to "spend time" with Payne.

Prosecutors argue that the cocaine was exchanged for money, presenting evidence such as hotel footage, witness statements, and WhatsApp messages.

These messages, particularly between Paiz and Payne, played a central role in Judge Bruniard's decision to charge Paiz with drug dealing.

However, Paiz's defense lawyer, Fernando Madeo, has rejected the charges, calling them "illegitimate, unfounded, and arbitrary."

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Madeo maintains that Paiz, a devoted "One Direction" fan, used drugs with Payne but never sold him any.

In an interview, the alleged drug dealer admitted to using drugs with Payne but insisted that he never took money from him.

He said: "We took drugs together, but I never took drugs to him or accepted any money. I have messages where he's offering me money because he was apparently used to offering money for everything, but I never accepted anything."

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