UK coroner awaits Argentine reports before final Liam Payne inquest

A UK coroner said on Thursday that he will seek full reports and eyewitness statements from Argentine authorities before holding a final inquest into the death of former One Direction singer Liam Payne, as investigations in Buenos Aires continue. Senior Coroner Crispin Butler made the remark during a brief preinquest review at Buckinghamshire Coroners Court on November 6, and adjourned the inquest until a further review on May 7, 2026.

Payne, 31, a Wolverhampton-born singer, died on October 16, 2024 after falling from a third-floor balcony at the Casa Sur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires. A postmortem examination in Argentina, later reviewed by UK officials, recorded polytrauma consistent with a fall from height and cited internal and external haemorrhage. A UK coroner has confirmed the cause of death as multiple injuries due to a fall from a height and said there was no evidence of third-party violence or intentional self-harm, while noting that questions remain about the events leading up to the fall.

Coroner Butler told the court he has been forwarded initial Argentine documentation, including the autopsy report and a police scene report, and that those documents will be...