Liam Payne’s medical cause of death has been confirmed in a UK inquest opening as “polytrauma”.
A hearing held on 17 December at Buckinghamshire Coroner’s Court was told it may take “some time” to ascertain how the 31-year-old pop singer died.
Five people have been charged over Payne’s death after the former One Direction star fell from a third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The hotel’s manager, a receptionist and a friend of Payne have been charged with manslaughter, Argentina’s National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office said in a previous statement.
They are reported to be hotel manager Gilda Martin, receptionist Esteban Grassi and Payne‘s friend Roger Nores.
Two others, hotel employee Ezequiel Pereyra and waiter Braian Paiz, have been charged with supplying cocaine.
The inquest into Payne‘s death in the UK has been adjourned until a pre-inquest review on 6 November, the coroner’s court said.
His medical cause of death was confirmed by Dr Roberto Victor Cohen as “polytrauma”, meaning multiple traumatic injuries.
The hearing was also told Payne, who was described as a “singer and entertainer” during the hearing, was formally identified “with the assistance of the funeral directors in Buckinghamshire”.
Senior Coroner Crispin Butler said during the hearing: “Whilst there are ongoing investigations in Argentina into the circumstances of Liam‘s death, over which I have no legal jurisdiction, it is anticipated that procuring the relevant information to address particularly how Liam came by his death may take some time through the formal channel of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.”
Payne’s funeral was held in Amersham, Buckingham, in November and attended by his family, friends and former One Direction bandmates including Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan.
In tributes shared following the news of his death, Payne’s One Direction bandmates praised him as a “positive, funny and kind soul” who was “an incredible songwriter with a great sense of melody”.
“I feel beyond lucky to have had you in my life but I’m really struggling with the idea of saying goodbye,” Tomlinson wrote in a statement from his Instagram account.
“I’m so grateful that we got even closer since the band, speaking on the phone for hours, reminiscing about all the thousands of amazing memories we had together is a luxury I thought I’d have with you for life… I wish I got the chance to say goodbye and tell you one more time how much I loved you.”
