Police charge trio in connection with Liam Payne’s death

Three people have been arrested in Argentina in connection with the tragic death of One Direction singer Liam Payne in Buenos Aires last month.

A statement issued Thursday by prosecutors confirmed local media reports that three people have been charged with supplying him with drugs. One of the accused was also charged with abandoning a person in a vulnerable state.

Payne, 31, consumed cocaine, alcohol and a prescription antidepressant before falling to his death from a third-floor balcony at a hotel in the City neighbourhood of Palermo on October 16.

"The results of the toxicological studies which have been communicated to his family revealed that, in the moments prior to his death and over a period covering at least his last 72 hours, Payne had traces of polydrug use of alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his body," prosecutors said in a statement.

Payne was found dead after plunging from the balcony of his third-floor room at the Hotel CasaSur Hotel in the capital.

An autopsy found he died after sustaining "multiple traumas" and "internal and external haemorrhaging" from the fall.

One of the highest-grossing live acts in the world, One Direction went on indefinite hiatus in 2016. 

Payne went on to enjoy a degree of solo success but his career had languished recently.

His death at age 31 prompted a global outpouring of grief and condolences from family, former bandmates, fans and others.

It also prompted a debate about whether the music industry has a duty of care for the mental health of stars who find fame at a young age.

Payne had spoken publicly about struggles with substance abuse and coping with fame from an early age.

‘Illegal conduct’

The prosecution, led by Andrés Esteban Madrea, said that the investigation had revealed "illegal conduct" which had led to charges being brought against three people, whom it did not name.

It said one of the trio had accompanied him on a daily basis during his stay in Buenos Aires and was charged with abandoning a person who later died, as well as supplying him with narcotics.

The second suspect is a hotel employee accused of twice supplying Payne with cocaine while he was staying at the hotel.

A third person is also accused of supplying him with the drug on October 14, two days before his death.

In total, nine raids were carried out in relation to the case, said the authorities, while “dozens of testimonies” were taken from hotel staff, relatives, friends, medical professionals, psychiatrists and biochemists.

More than 800 hours of video footage from security cameras was investigated as part of the probe into the singer’s death.

Payne’s telephone was also investigated, with his chat messages, calls and social media posts analysed.

The prosecution ruled out self-harm and the "physical intervention of third parties" as the cause of Payne's death, saying that the injuries he sustained were compatible with those caused by a fall from a height.

"Payne was either not fully conscious or was in a state of markedly diminished or absent consciousness at the time of the fall," the report added.

Hotel staff had called emergency services twice to report a guest "overwhelmed by drugs and alcohol" who was "destroying" a hotel room prior to the tragedy. 

Prosecutors have concluded that Payne was supplied with drugs on at least four occasions by third parties between October 13 and 16.

The injuries sustained the fatal fall were “ were compatible with those produced by a fall from a height,” with “the physical intervention of third parties ruled out.”

“The victim did not adopt a reflexive posture to protect himself in the fall, so that, for the moment, it can be inferred that he may have fallen in a state of semi- or total unconsciousness,” said the statement.

Repatriation

Payne’s body was repatriated back to the United Kingdom on Wednesday, almost three weeks after his death.

Payne's body left the British Cemetery in Chacarita, Buenos Aires, where it was embalmed, at around 6am Wednesday morning, en route to Ezeiza International Airport, sources confirmed to the Times.

The flight carrying the singer's remains left Buenos Aires for London at 1.58pm local time (1658 GMT) Wednesday, a police source told the AFP news agency.

A video circulating on social media showed Payne's father at Ezeiza International Airport, minutes before boarding.

Liam Payne's father, Geoff Payne, who has been in Buenos Aires since October 16, on Tuesday visited the hotel where his late son died for a second time.

The mourning father took a few moments to again look over the makeshift shrine to his late son outside the Hotel CasaSur.

He crossed paths with a few fans, who embraced him after a few words.

According to reports, the father also visited the British Cemetery to see his son's body one more time before its transfer back to the UK.

A large celebration of Payne's life will take place in his hometown in the coming days, with family and friends set to attend.

“Arrangements are in place for [the arrival] now and once his body is back in Britain the next step will be to announce the funeral plan.” a close friend of the former One Direction star told the MailOnline website earlier this week

– TIMES/PERFIL/AFP