Three charged in connection with Liam Payne’s death after fall from hotel balcony including ‘person close to the singer’

THREE people have been charged in connection with Liam Payne’s death, officials have confirmed.

Those charged are someone who was close to Payne, a hotel employee and a suspected drug dealer, Argentina’s public prosecutor announced in a statement.

Liam died after he fell from his third floor balcony at the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina on October 16.

The three have now been arrested and charged with “abandonment of a person followed by death, supply and facilitation of narcotics,” confirmed a statement by the office of prosecutor Andres Esteban Madrea.

The statement said: “Based on the evidence gathered and after analysing the various bodies of proceedings and numerous documentary annexes and the background of the case, prosecutor Andres Esteban Madrea formally charged three people, requesting their questioning and arrest in a 180-page ruling presented last Friday to Judge Bruniard.”

The statement added: “Liam Payne was not fully conscious or was experiencing a state of noticeable decrease or loss of consciousness at the time of the fall”.

It added one of the accused “accompanied the artist on a daily basis” during his stay in Argentina.

A hotel employee is also accused of supplying Payne with cocaine twice while he stayed at the hotel, prosecutors added.

A third person is accused of supplying drugs to the singer twice during his stay on October 14, the statement said.

Madrea confirmed they are both charged with two acts each of supplying narcotics.

The prosecutor’s office said it had heard several dozen testimonies and analysed more than 800 hours of CCTV footage from security cameras.

They said they carried out a “forensic extraction” of Liam’s phone, sifting through his call logs, messages and social media accounts.

Nine raids have also been carried out on properties in Buenos Aires.

A post-mortem concluded Liam’s death was caused by “multiple trauma” and “internal and external haemorrhage” after the fall.

Prosecutors said there was nothing to indicate any third party was involved in the death.

They also ruled out “self-harm”, according to a forensic psychiatric report.

The statement, translated into English, said: “Although other medical background information from the victim’s clinical history must still be analysed, the phenomenon of the lack of defence or self-preservation reflex in the fall, together with other relevant data from his consumption, allow us to conclude that Liam Payne was not fully conscious or was experiencing a state of noticeable decrease or loss of consciousness at the time of the fall.”

This comes after the singer’s body was returned home yesterday.

The star’s dad Geoff was also on the flight into Heathrow — with the body then transferred to Liam’s home town of Wolverhampton.

His funeral has been arranged and is expected to take place in the West Midlands city within ten days.

A source said: “Plans are in motion for Liam’s funeral and a date has been set.

“His family are determined to keep things as private as ­possible to allow them to grieve but also understand the global interest.”

His former One Direction bandmates — Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson — are expected to be at the funeral, as well as girlfriend Kate Cassidy.

The X Factor mogul and close friend Simon Cowell is also set to fly to the UK for the service.

Liam’s dad and mum Karen had been working around the clock to bring their son’s body home.

 Geoff had flown out to Argentina and visited Casa Sur Hotel — where pop star Liam fell to his death — to view fans’ tributes.

A source close to Liam’s family previously told The Sun: “Geoff is living every parent’s worst nightmare.

“He has been so moved by the outpouring of love and the tributes that have come in from across the world.”

This comes after Argentinian cops raided the singer’s hotel last week looking for information on alleged drug dealing staff.

Cops believe Liam was smuggled drugs hidden in a Dove soap box and were said to be probing two hotel staff.

Prosecutors said in a statement they believe Liam was “in a state of semi or total unconsciousness” during a substance-induced episode when he fell.

Reports say Liam was acting erratically and had smashed his laptop and had to be carried back to his room following an incident earlier in the day in the hotel lobby.

He told one fan just an hour before his death that he loved Buenos Aires so much he wanted to buy a house there.

But at some point, things took a tragic turn and the hotel’s reception manager frantically called cops telling them that Liam was under the influence of drink and drugs and had trashed his room.

The receptionist called emergency services saying: “We have a guest who is destroying everything in his room. We need someone to come.

“They must be in a room that has a balcony. And well, we’re a little bit worried he’ll do something, that he’ll put his life at risk.”

An insider has said Liam was trying to get clean and had been given an all-clear on a drugs test before his death.

They said: “Liam had tried really hard to get clean, then he’s been preyed upon.

“These people just care about money – they don’t care about putting people’s lives in danger.

“It’s an evil trade. This is all just tragic.”

Last month Liam’s first song after tragic death was set to be released.

Musician Sam Pounds announced plans to release a duet with Liam called Do No Wrong on Friday, November 1.

However Liam’s posthumous single was postponed.

Liam’s song Teardrops – which revealed the heartbreaking challenges in his love life – re-entered the charts at number 7 after his death.

The singer shot to fame on The X Factor in 2010.

He was part of boy band One Direction alongside Niall, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson.

Liam and ex girlfriend Cheryl share son Bear, seven.