Friend of Liam Payne blames CasaSur Palermo Hotel for singer's death

Liam Payne's friend under investigation for alleged abandonment, claims he left Payne with others present and insists the hotel failed to ensure safety.

Roger Nores, a close friend of Liam Payne, has publicly accused the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, of being “responsible for his [Payne] death”.

British singer Liam Payne, former member of the group One Direction, died on Oct 16, aged 31, after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Argentina, police in Buenos Aires said. (AFP)

The former One Direction star, fell from a third-floor balcony while staying at the hotel during a vacation. This happened shortly after his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, had returned to the US, leaving Payne in Argentina with Nores.

Who is Roger Nores? Liam Payne's friend under probe

Nores, a 35-year-old Argentine millionaire and reported business associate of Payne was one of the last people to see him alive. He is now under investigation for alleged abandonment, as authorities scrutinize whether he left Payne alone while aware of his vulnerable state.

“I went to his hotel 3 times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened,” Norestold The Mirror.

“There were over 15 people in the hotel lobby chatting and joking with him when I left. I could have never imagined something like this would happen.”

Nores explained, “I've given my statement to the prosecutor on October 17 as a witness and I haven't spoken to any police office or prosecutor ever since. I wasn't Liam's manager; he was just my very dear friend.”

Roger's legal team is now alleging the CasaSur Palermo Hotel of negligence for Payne's death. He further claimed the hotel was aware Payne had been “on a bender for three days” and argued it was the hotel manager, not him, who left Payne alone. He also alleged that Payne was attempting to flee the hotel room at the time of his fall, carrying a bag and a hat.

TMZ also reported that the hotel failed to comply with a legal requirement to provide a 24-hour on-site doctor. The filing also alleges that hotel staff were aware of Payne's intoxicated state and took no action to ensure his safety.

“A world-famous person was staying with obvious signs of being going through a crisis caused by drug intake at that very moment, and they did not even make an effort there to make up for their legal omission of having a 24-hour doctor,” the document reportedly stated.