Liam Payne’s pal Roger Nores & two hotel workers have charges DROPPED in probe into One Direction star’s death
CHARGES against Liam Payne’s friend and two hotel workers have been dropped.
Roger Nores and two staff members at the hotel in Buenos Aires when the One Direction star fell to his death in October had been charged with manslaughter.
But appeal court judges have now cleared all three and reversed the earlier decision to charge them.
The pair accused of selling Liam cocaine before his fall from the CasaSur Palermo Hotel will remain in prison after being told they still face prosecution and probable trial.
Nores’ lawyer Rafael Cuneo Libarona, the brother of Argentina’s Justice Minister, had fought to get the US businessman off his manslaughter rap.
He rebutted claims from the prosecution that he was Liam’s representative and had failed in his duty of care towards him.
Mr Cuneo Libarona said after news of the appeal ruling emerged: “We are happy to have reversed the decision by 360 degrees.
“We have always maintained that Rogelio Nores was not responsible for Liam Payne’s death.
“He was only his friend and had no duty or legal obligation to ensure his safety.”
The three appeal court judges announced their ruling in a written document published eight days after a hearing at Argentina’s National Criminal and Correctional Court in Buenos Aires.
The other two men now in the clear are Esteban Grassi, the chief receptionist at CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires who made a 911 call moments before Liam died, and its head of security Gilda Martin.
Grassi was one of the three men identified alongside Martin in the last harrowing photo of Liam to emerge showing him being carried back up to his room from his hotel lobby shortly before his fall.
Like Mr Nores they would have faced between one and five years in prison if convicted as charged – although they had been told they could be eligible for suspended jail sentences.
Waiter Braian Nahuel Paiz, 24, and 21-year-old suspended hotel worker Ezequiel David Pereyra, lost their attempts to overturn the decision to charge them with supplying Liam drugs and remand them in prison.
They have been warned they could face prison sentences of between four and 15 years if convicted.
Prosecutors can appeal the higher court decision on Mr Nores and the two hotel workers but they have not yet indicated if they will do so.
Local reports say a number of electronic devices have yet to be opened and analysed, including Mr Nores’ iPhone and Liam Payne’s computer.
Mr Nores’ alleged managerial role towards Liam, a position he had denied holding, had been key to the decision to prosecute the businessman.
Judge Laura Bruniard in an indictment ruling at the end of December accused Mr Nores of “failing in his duty of care, assistance and help” towards the star.
She alleged he “abandoned him to his fate, knowing he couldn’t fend for himself, aware he suffered multiple additions to alcohol and cocaine and fully conscious of the state of intoxication, vulnerably and defenceless he was in”.
It subsequently emerged the businessman had been described as Liam’s manager in an internal hotel email after he visited CasaSur Palermo Hotel.
Mr Nores protested his innocence and refuted claims he was Liam’s ‘de facto’ manager.
He previously 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.
“I could have never imagined something like this would happen.
“I’ve given my statement to the prosecutor on October 17 as a witness and I haven’t spoken to any police officer or prosecutor ever since.
“I wasn’t Liam’s manager. He was just my very dear friend.”