Liam Payne had alarmingly high alcohol percentage in blood at time of his death, new report reveals

A newly released report from Argentina’s National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office No. 14 has revealed that the former One Direction singer Liam Payne had "alcohol concentrations of up to 2.7 grams per litre in blood at the time of death ." The findings, made public recently, provide further insight into the circumstances surrounding his tragic passing in October, when he fell from a balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

According to a report in People magazine, the singer, who died in October after falling from a balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Argentina, was also found to have "cocaine metabolites, methylecgonine, benzoylecgomine, cocaethylene and the medication sertraline" in his system, according to the statement, which was translated from Spanish. In terms of blood alcohol concentration (BAC), 2.7 grams per litre corresponds to 0.27%, a level that can cause confusion, dizziness, and disorientation, as noted by Alcohol.com.

The statement further confirmed the prosecution of Braian Paiz for providing drugs in exchange for money, despite his previous claims that he had done so free of charge. The judges ruled that "the evidence gathered reveals the onerous nature of the deliveries and enables the confirmation of the prosecution ordered by the previous instance." This conclusion was supported by security footage showing that, upon arriving at the hotel in the early hours of 14th October, "Payne went down to reception to ask for money," according to the release.

Additionally, a police report filed at Paiz’s residence established that "all the inhabitants/families of the place have as their main livelihood the sale of narcotic material." The press release also noted that messages exchanged between Liam and Paiz further implicated the latter. Paiz, who initially stated that the drugs were "a gift," had sent Liam a message that read: "The guy with the cigar just answered me, come later if you want."

Liam replied, "I have 100 US dollars."

In November, the prosecutor’s office had already disclosed the results of Liam’s toxicology report. It confirmed that in the 72-hour period leading up to his death, Liam had "alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants" in his system. "This conclusion was reached after the complete toxicology tests on urine, blood and vitreous humour," the press release stated.

In October at the time of Liam's death, a preliminary autopsy determined that his cause of death was multiple injuries accompanied by “internal and external” haemorrhaging. According to the BBC, an inquest in the UK confirmed in January that his official cause of death was "polytrauma," as determined in a hearing at Buckinghamshire Coroner’s Court in December.

The November press release also reported that three individuals had been arrested and charged in Argentina in connection with Payne’s fatal fall from a third-floor hotel balcony. However, on February 21, the prosecutor’s office confirmed that charges against his friend Roger Nores, along with Gilda Martin and Esteban Grassi, two employees of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel, had been dropped following a hearing at Argentina’s National Criminal and Correctional Court. The three had been charged with manslaughter in December in relation to Liam’s death and would have faced prison sentences of between one and five years if found guilty, according to the BBC.

Meanwhile, Ezequiel Pereyra and Paiz, who are accused of supplying Payne with drugs, remain in custody while awaiting trial. If convicted, they could face sentences ranging from four to 14 years in prison.