Liam Payne latest: Cause of death not 'self-harm' as body flown home to UK

Liam Payne was not "fully conscious” when he fell from a third floor balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires more than three weeks ago, according to the local prosecutor’s office.

The statement said Liam did not adopt a reflex posture to protect himself from the fall, meaning he fell “in a state of semi or total unconsciousness” and as such his death has been ruled out as “self-harm”.

"Liam Payne was not fully conscious or was experiencing a state of noticeable decrease or loss of consciousness at the time of the fall", it said, adding that would "rule out the possibility of a conscious or voluntary act" as "in the state he was in, he did not know what he was doing nor could he understand it".

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The results of toxicology tests revealed Payne had traces of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his body.

Last night it was announced by Argentine authorities on Thursday evening that three people have been charged in connection to the 31-year-old’s death. All three are accused of playing a role in Payne’s death by supplying him with drugs.

Those charged in Payne's death include a suspected drug dealer, a hotel employee who may have provided Payne with the cocaine and a person who was close to the singer and accompanied him “on a daily basis”, the authorities said.

The person who was visiting with Payne is also charged with "abandonment of a person followed by death," authorities said. None of those charged were named, but will be notified and are prohibited from leaving the country, according to the statement.

The statement said officials in Argentina had carried out a forensic analysis of Payne’s phone, including his call and message history, and also reviewed 800 hours of video footage from security cameras at the hotel and on nearby roads.

They are also continuing to investigate Payne's broken laptop and other devices seized. In addition, nine raids of homes in Buenos Aires have been carried out.

Meanwhile, Liam’s body was finally released to his father, Geoff, on Wednesday and has since been flown back to his native England. A private funeral service is expected to take place within the next week or so, according to reports.