The family of pop star Liam Payne has criticised the media for causing “indescribable, lasting damage” in the wake of his death.The singer, 31, died in October last year, after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.He was honoured with a video montage, played at Saturday night’s BRIT awards, celebrating his legacy – with clips including his time on X-Factor and during his time with One Direction. The band won seven BRIT awards before they split in 2016.YouTube
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Allow Cookies OnceIn a statement, released to the media after the tribute was played, his family called the death an “unspeakable tragedy”.The family also criticised the “attention and speculation” in the press that caused “indescribable, lasting damage on the family, particularly on Liam’s son, who is trying to process emotions which no seven-year-old should have to experience”.It said the family accepted the Court of Appeal’s decision to drop all charges in relation to Payne’s death.
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One Direction pictured at the 2014 Brit Awards – the band won seven gongs during their time together. Pic: PA
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One Direction, pictured in 2011. Pic: AP
Charges were dropped against three defendants: Payne’s friend Roger Nores, who had accompanied him during his trip to Buenos Aires; Gilda Martin, the manager of the Casa Sur Palermo Hotel where Payne died; and Esteban Grassi, the hotel’s main receptionist.
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Two others are still facing prosecution for allegedly supplying Payne with drugs. Supplying drugs in Argentina carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.Toxicology tests revealed that before his death, he had traces of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his body. A postmortem ruled his cause of death as “polytrauma” from multiple injuries and internal and external bleeding.The family’s statement in fullLiam’s death was an unspeakable tragedy. This is a time of tremendous grief and pain for those who knew and loved him.“Liam ought to have had a long life ahead of him. Instead, Bear has lost his father, Geoff and Karen have lost their son, Ruth and Nicola have lost their brother and all of Liam’s friends and fans have lost someone they held very dear.We understand that
