The five men who stand accused of being involved in the death of One Direction star Liam Payne are hoping that a judgement will be overturned, leading to a "bombshell" appeal trial
The five men at the centre of proceedings around Liam Payne's tragic death are reportedly gearing up for a key appeal date.
Fans, friends and family of Liam have been calling for justice following the horrifying death of the One Direction star, after he fell from a third-floor balcony of a hotel in Argentina. It has now been reported that the five men who stand accused – including one who had been on the run before handing himself in – are attempting to overturn a key judgement.
The legal teams for the accused men are seeking to overturn the decision made by Judge Laura Bruniard to formally accuse them. If successful, it will leave the pathway open for a bombshell appeal trial later this year.
Attorneys for two of the suspects are expected to contest the pre-trial incarceration their clients had after their arrests earlier this month. The two suspects were charged with selling cocaine to Liam, before his drink-and-drug fuelled fall.
The pair are facing up to 15 years in prison if they are convicted. The appeal is scheduled for February 10 at Argentina’s National Criminal and Correctional Court in Buenos Aires. It is not yet known if the hearing would be made public or if it will be a closed court.
One of the three men charged is Liam’s friend Rogelio "Roger" Nores. It has emerged that he has hired a top lawyer to join his legal team.
One of the claims he is disputing is that he was Liam’s manager and was responsible for his care. The new lawyer has been named as Rafael Cuneo Libarona, the brother of Argentina’s Justice Minister Mariano Cuneo Libarona.
He has been hired to reinforce the argument he was never Liam’s manager or the “guarantor” judge Bruniard described him as when she decided to charge him. Mr Cuneo Libarona is believed to be working alongside Mr Nores’ Buenos Aires-based law firm Marval O’Farrell & Mairal.
He told Infobae: “The lawsuit we filed in the United States is to stop an unnecessary, mendacious and dishonest attack seeking to hold my client responsible instead of exposing who really are responsible for Liam Payne’s descent into drugs at a very young age.
“My client is not a manager, he is not a nurse, he is not a psychologist, nor a psychiatrist, nor is he dedicated to the recovery of addicts. He is a simple friend in Argentina who helps him in his business affairs.”
Mr Nores’ new lawyer is expected to base his defence of his client on the argument that Liam knew about the dangers of drug taking and continued to consume without anyone forcing him to do so. Alongside Mr Nores, hotel chief receptionist Esteban Grassi and head of security Gilda Martin have also been charged.
Esteban Grassi made a 911 call moments before Liam died, and the men are facing between one and five years in prison if convicted as charged. However, they have been told they could be eligible for suspended jail sentences.
The other two suspects are 24-year-old waiter Braian Nahuel Paiz and 21-year-old suspended hotel worker Ezequiel David Pereyra. Both men have been charged with selling Liam cocaine.
They both face prison sentences of between four and 15 years if convicted, and are currently being held in jail. Mr Nores is currently banned from leaving Argentina because of the charges against him.
Judge Bruniard accused Mr Nores of “failing in his duty of care, assistance and help” towards the singer. 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".
Mr Nores had been described as Liam’s manager in an internal hotel email after he visited the CasaSur Palermo Hotel and was shown a first-floor room he “liked a lot”. Liam ended up checking into the third-floor suite he plunged from.
The word "manager" was written alongside the name Roger Nores towards the end of the email, sent on October 11. The words assistant manager were written against the name below Roger's - that of Lulu Miranda who has been referred to in prior reports about the Liam investigation as a pop star and a friend of Mr Nores.
He refuted claims Liam was acting erratically and was intoxicated shortly before his fatal fall, and has protested his innocence. He has also denied claims he was Liam’s 'de facto' manager.
He said in a statement shortly after it emerged he was being officially investigated before being charged: “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," he insisted. "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."
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