Former One Direction star Liam Payne was allegedly trying to escape from his hotel by using the balcony which led to his tragic death.
According to witnesses, a police report, a 911 call, and surveillance video, the hotel staff reportedly knew he was planning to escape but chose to leave him alone, which ultimately led to his tragic fall to his death.
The singer fell to his sudden death from his hotel balcony on October 16 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
A source spoke to TMZ and said that Payne hated being locked in hotel rooms because that is what they were subjected to during his days in One Direction.
The singer was apparently using his hotel room’s balcony to escape as he had done this before as well – as recently as mid-September.
The source stated that during the previous incident, the singer’s bodyguard was aware that he was on a drug binge and forced him to stay inside a Florida rental house. This is when he escaped via the balcony and used the garden hose to reach the ground.
According to the TMZ report, screenshots of the Buenos Aires hotel, CasaSur Palermo Hotel’s surveillance camera video grabs show Payne being carried to his hotel room by 3 hotel staff members after being found in the lobby. Payne was intoxicated at that time and reportedly resisted being escorted to his room. Once inside, the hotel staff used a master key to lock him in.
The hotel also removed a mirror from the wall outside his room to prevent it from getting damaged, according to a police report. Just minutes later, the singer tragically fell to his death.
Payne, apparently, told one of the hotel employees that he would use the balcony as a means to escape the room. Following this statement, the employee called 911 informing them that Payne might use the balcony and accidentally hurt himself. The employee said, according to the 911 transcript, ‘I don’t know whether his life may be in danger. He is in a room with a balcony, and, well, we’re a little afraid …”
He seems to have been conscious when he fell to his death, as he had a bag strapped to his shoulder, which was not on him when Payne was in the lobby earlier that day. The police also found a hat either on or near his body, suggesting he put them on in his room.
In pics: One Direction bandmates come together to bid a final goodbye to Liam Payne
Hotel to blame for Liam Payne’s death?
The singer was apparently trying to move from the 3rd-floor balcony to the 2nd-floor balcony, with plans to jump down to the ground.
Two days after his death, a hotel employee found a brown leather bag with a note that said “for Liam” on the 2nd-floor balcony below his room. The bad contained pills and a bottle of Jack Daniel’s and was confirmed to be of Payne’s. It seems he may have dropped the bag on the lower balcony before attempting to jump himself in order to escape.
A source suggests that Argentinian authorities may be trying to protect the hotel by focusing on three individuals-a friend, a waiter, and a hotel employee who is accused of supplying Payne with drugs.
The source believes the hotel is responsible for prioritising concerns about noise in the lobby and protecting hotel property over ensuring the safety of the singer