Coroner to seek full reports before final inquest into Liam Payne’s death

A coroner will seek full reports and eyewitness statements before a final inquest into the death of former One Direction star Liam Payne, a pre-inquest review heard.

Senior Coroner Crispin Butler told a three-minute hearing at Buckinghamshire Coroner’s Court on Thursday that there are “continuing investigations in Argentina into the circumstances surrounding Liam’s death”.

Payne died at the age of 31 in October last year after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.

A post-mortem examination report said Payne died of multiple traumas and “internal and external haemorrhage” after falling from a third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires.

A court in Argentina dropped charges in February of criminal negligence against three out of the five people who had been charged in connection with Payne’s death.

The coroner has been forwarded initial documentation relating to the autopsy conducted in Argentina and an initial police scene report, Mr Butler added.

This documentation will be formally translated with subsequent liaison with Payne’s family.

The coroner will seek to procure full reports including eyewitness statements.

He said: “We will continue to liaise with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to seek to procure full reports, eyewitness statements and other relevant evidence to assess in due course to address the statutory questions at a final inquest… namely who the deceased was, a final medical cause of death, when, where and how he came by his death.”

The inquest was adjourned until a further pre-inquest review on May 7, 2026 at 10am.

After his band went on hiatus Payne launched a successful solo career, releasing his debut solo album LP1 in December 2019, which included the songs Polaroid and Strip That Down featuring Quavo, and the track For You with Rita Ora.