Liam Payne’s family are ready to take legal action over his death

On By Littum

Lawyers for Liam Payne’s family were in court in Argentina on Tuesday – and a source told Page Six they could bring private criminal proceedings against anyone who contributed to his death.

Page Six has seen documentation showing veteran music industry attorney Richard Bray, acting on behalf of the family, has transferred his legal interests to a local Buenos Aires law firm.

That means Payne’s loved ones would now be a named plaintiff in any criminal case moving forward.

A source told Page Six that Liam Payne’s could file private criminal charges against anyone who contributed to his death. NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Payne’s death is the subject of an investigation in Buenos Aires. Getty Images for Atlantis The Royal

It is the first time Payne’s family has been named in any part of the ongoing inquest into the singer’s death at the CasaSur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires on October 16 – and it comes as shocking images of his final moments have been revealed.

A source familiar with the family said they were “100% sure” Payne’s parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his siblings would seek justice for him.

The 1D star died aged 31 after falling from the balcony of his hotel room.

Prosecutors have already charged two hotel employees with allegedly giving him drugs, and a friend of Payne’s is a person of interest for not intervening and coming to his aid.

However, the investigation has taken an even darker turn in the wake of images released as part of a police report.

Footage from the police report on Payne’s death shows him in the hotel corridor with three men, believed to be members of the hotel staff, before he was reportedly tackled to his room. Buenos Aires police
The singer appeared to walk with his head held high in the hotel lobby minutes before being carried upstairs by staff. Buenos Aires police

They show what appears to be hotel staff manhandling Payne and locking him in his hotel room. Although the time stamps on the photos are unconfirmed, it appears that this happened shortly before his death.

Nicolás Durrieu, a criminal lawyer based in Buenos Aires, told Page Six that if this is indeed what happened, hotel staff could be charged with “abandonment of a person.” In this case, it could probably be considered “aggravated” because a person died, with a maximum sentence of 15 years.

Charges of “manslaughter” carry a maximum of five years in prison in Argentina, while anyone convicted of facilitating or distributing drugs could face 12 years in prison.

Harry Styles joined the other One Direction members at Liam Payne’s funeral in Amersham, UK, last week. WireImage
Former bandmate Louis Tomlinson was also present at the service. WireImage

“The legal system also allows the family to bring their own private prosecution and their own investigation,” Durrieu said. “Victims are very empowered and independent of the prosecutor. Usually the family goes with the prosecutor, but not always.”

TMZ reported Monday that security footage and the police report show Payne was trying to escape his hotel room when he fell. Hotel staff knew he was threatening to use the balcony as a means of escape but still left him alone, according to the outlet.

Shocking images show Payne, who was disruptive in the hotel lobby and under the influence, sprawled out as three men carry him to his room minutes before he dropped to his death.

Zayn Malk attended the funeral after postponing his concerts. WireImage
Niall Horan looked somber at the service. WireImage

However, Payne was apparently conscious and kept his head up.

Images believed to have been taken from surveillance footage show that when hotel staff led Liam to his room corridor, he struggled with them and tried to get back into the lift.

A source told Page Six: “It’s clear to me that Liam was trying to get downstairs, he didn’t want to go into his room.”

Nevertheless, hotel staff used a master key to enter the room and placed Liam inside, according to the police report seen by Page Six.

Payne’s parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, were together at the funeral. Reuters
Kate Cassidy, Payne’s girlfriend, attended his funeral. WireImage

Once he was in the room, staff called 911 and said they feared he might use the balcony and hurt himself.

“We have a guest who is (allegedly) tall and drunk; and when he is conscious he destroys his room and we need you to send someone please. We need you to send someone as soon as possible because I don’t know if his life is in danger,” the man, identified only as a hotel manager named Estaban, told the dispatcher.

“He is in a room with a balcony and we are afraid that he may be putting his life in danger.”

Payne has previously spoken of how he hated being locked in hotel rooms, a tactic 1D management adopted at the height of the band’s fame

The 1D star died after falling from the balcony of the CasaSur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires. CasaSur Palermo Hotel
Drug paraphernalia was allegedly found in Payne’s room. An autopsy revealed he had “pink cocaine” in his system. The drug includes 2-CB, MDMA (ecstasy), ketamine and caffeine. .

“When we were in the band, the best way to secure us — because of how big it got — was to just lock ourselves in our rooms. And of course, what’s in the room? Minibar,” Payne said during a podcast interview in 2021, revealing how he turned to alcohol to cope. “So at a certain point I thought, ‘Well, I’m going to throw a party for one.'”

A source said Payne – who was laid to rest last week in the UK – had tried to escape from his Florida rental home back in September by using the balcony to escape after his bodyguard forced him into a room for fear of that he was on a drug.

We have contacted a representative of the Payne family.