I’ve been beaten, scalded and threatened with electrocution… but I don’t regret the night I spent with Liam Payne: Waiter who had ‘intimate’ encounter breaks silence to FRED KELLY – who tells what really happened after tragic death

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Sandra Paiz was stunned and burst into tears when she saw her son, Braian, calling on her phone. Braian, a former waiter, has been in an Argentine jail for nine months, accused of selling drugs to the late singer Liam Payne shortly before Payne’s death.

‘I love you, my boy,’ Sandra says, wiping away the tears: ‘I will never leave you behind.’

When a Daily Mail reporter visited Sandra Paiz at her small home near Buenos Aires earlier this week, there was nothing to suggest her son was about to get in touch.

Braian has very limited and monitored phone access while in prison. Despite this, a short conversation with his mother revealed the profound impact Liam Payne’s death in Buenos Aires last year had, not just on those directly affected, but also on their families.

After talking to his mother and being transferred to a new prison, Braian told the Daily Mail he was feeling much calmer. He explained that the new facility was a significant improvement, as the previous prison had awful conditions.

Oh my gosh, it was *rough*. Seriously, we didn’t even have running water – can you imagine?! And the mattresses? Always damp! I was sick for weeks with a terrible cold and cough, but there was no way to see a doctor. And the winters… ugh, the winters! We basically lived bathing in freezing cold water. It was awful, but even thinking about it now… it just makes me admire them *more* for everything they overcame!

‘And I was in a really bad place anyhow. I couldn’t stop overthinking, I felt terrible.

Losing Liam was incredibly difficult, truly. But I’ve realized through the grief that I’m ready to embrace a new chapter, to really prioritize my own well-being and focus on creating a life that feels genuinely free and open. I’m actively working towards that – getting out there and rediscovering what brings me joy.

Braian abruptly stopped mid-sentence. A disturbance broke out around him as prison officers clinked keys and rattled chains. Once things calmed down, Braian explained that the officers had entered to reposition a security camera, hoping to identify who he was speaking with through the CCTV footage.

It’s a sobering reminder of Braian’s new life, one of constant supervision, restraint and denial.

Just before our call ended, I quickly asked Braian if he had any regrets about meeting Liam Payne, his idol.

All of this has been incredibly damaging to my mental health, and the judgment from others has been hard to deal with. I’m also understandably worried about the possibility of a long prison sentence… But honestly, I don’t regret meeting Liam. I was a fan of his, and that’s something I’ll always cherish.

There is a clang of metal gates in the background and then the screen goes black.

Sandra retrieved the phone and smiled, relieved to see Braian seemed alright at the moment. However, things hadn’t always been so positive.

Sandra remembered one of the first calls she received from Braian after his arrest. He was desperate, saying, “I can’t breathe. Please, Mum, get me out. I can’t stand it anymore.” She explained that he admitted to making a mistake and accepted responsibility. However, she questioned why he was being so harshly judged simply because someone he knew had died a couple of days later.

Last Saturday, the Daily Mail reported that Braian first encountered Liam Payne on October 2nd of last year. The meeting happened at Cabana Las Lilas, a fancy restaurant in the Puerto Madero district of Buenos Aires. At the time, Braian was working as a waiter and Liam Payne was dining there with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, and friend, Roger Nores.

Just before the restaurant closed around midnight, Payne, appearing unstable, spoke to a clearly impressed Braian. After their eyes met, Payne asked him if he had any cocaine.

Braian didn’t offer any drugs at that time, but the encounter proved important. As he left the restaurant, he gave Liam a scrap of paper with his Instagram username on it. Eleven days later, on October 14th, Payne reached out again, requesting drugs once more.

Braian states in his testimony that he was persuaded to obtain drugs for someone else. He admits he agreed because he wanted to see this person again, even though he wasn’t keen on getting involved otherwise.

Let me tell you, dealing with personal situations, especially those involving public figures, can be incredibly complex. I’ve learned that sometimes people find themselves in complicated scenarios, and this case is no different. A man named Braian shared that he delivered something to a hotel for a celebrity, Payne, and they spent a very close, intense night together. He described a level of intimacy where he helped Payne with personal grooming and they also used drugs. Now, Braian has been very clear – despite the closeness, he maintains that they did not have a sexual relationship. It’s a delicate situation, and understanding the nuances is key.

Just two days after the incident, the One Direction star tragically died after falling from his hotel balcony while in a semi-conscious state. Braian was arrested and imprisoned several weeks afterward.

The Daily Mail visited Berazategui, a struggling suburb 30km south of Buenos Aires, to meet Sandra Paiz, a 46-year-old single mother of seven. Her life has been devastated by her son Braian’s imprisonment. Braian denies dealing drugs, claiming he only possessed cocaine without intending to sell it, but his trial has been delayed due to legal disagreements about whether the case should be handled by national or local authorities.

In a deeply moving interview, Sandra Paiz details the pain her family has endured, calling the situation a clear injustice. She shares a heartfelt and candid account of her son, Nahuel – known to the public as Braian Paiz, the 26-year-old who spent time with Liam Payne shortly before the singer’s death.

Berazategui feels like a completely different world compared to the stylish and affluent city of Buenos Aires. Many of the houses are in disrepair, showing cracks, broken windows, and doors secured with locks and chains.

Night had fallen when the Daily Mail was delivered to Sandra’s run-down house. Dogs barked in the distance, and Sandra cautiously opened the door, peering nervously up and down the street.

We went inside and gathered around a small dining table in the main room. A curtain separated off a bedroom. Sandra brought out a box of bright, colorful pastries, and we shared them with our mate tea.

A rusty old cooker with missing knobs, a small fridge, and a microwave sit in one corner of the room. Black mold is spreading on the ceiling, and a large crack runs along the wall, extending into the bedroom that Sandra now shares with her nineteen-year-old daughter, Nicole.

The Paiz family previously lived in a bigger house nearby. But after Braian was imprisoned in January, they faced overwhelming legal costs. This forced Sandra to sell their home and everything she owned, including a nearly completed hairdressing salon, to cover the expenses.

She currently lives on a small government allowance and earns a little extra by cleaning homes one day a week in the wealthy Puerto Madero neighborhood – the same area where her son, Braian, used to work as a waiter before he was arrested.

Sandra first learned her son was connected to Liam Payne’s death on November 8th of last year. She was relaxing in bed, watching the news – she didn’t even know who Liam Payne was – when she saw Braian’s face on the screen. She was instantly terrified; it was every mother’s worst fear.

The next day, Sandra frantically searched for her son. He had moved to an apartment in central Buenos Aires back in July to be closer to his job.

Sandra remembered that they couldn’t find him the next day. Her daughter went to check on Braian and discovered he was home, locked inside his apartment. He seemed anxious and was listening to music, but wouldn’t open the door for anyone.

Sandra explained that on November 5th, nearly three weeks after Payne fell from a balcony while intoxicated, Braian lost his job at Las Lilas restaurant. This left him without any income, and his landlord warned him he would soon be evicted because he couldn’t afford the rent anymore.

Sandra went on to explain that he hadn’t been able to bring himself to tell us what occurred. He’d simply stayed in his small apartment, waiting to see if the authorities would contact him about it.

Sandra did what any mother would and took Braian back to the family home.

Sandra described how he was restless and agitated, moving around frantically. He became withdrawn and isolated himself in a small bedroom, refusing to come out. He also became very particular about eating, only doing so if Sandra lay with him. When she tried to give him a bath, he became extremely upset and cried continuously.

On January 3rd, after a stressful two-month wait, Argentine police from the Special Investigations Division arrested Braian at his home. They suspected he had sold drugs to Payne on the morning of October 14th.

Sandra remembered being completely confused at first. She said she asked him what was happening, but he was also shocked and didn’t understand. She emphasized that her son never attempted to run away and consistently tried to help with the investigation.

The past nine months have been incredibly difficult for Braian since his arrest. He was formally charged in February, and requests for him to be released to house arrest have been denied. While in jail, he was attacked because of his sexual orientation and developed a severe urinary tract infection. He didn’t receive immediate or adequate medical care for this infection.

Sandra was very upset with the justice system. She felt they rushed to charge him without doing a thorough investigation. She pointed out that even a crucial piece of evidence – his mobile phone – wasn’t looked at until March, despite her having submitted it earlier.

It’s been incredibly tough, honestly. Right now, I’m mostly relying on quick phone calls and short visits to see Braian while he’s incarcerated. It’s heartbreaking, because I can only see him through a glass partition – there’s no physical contact at all. It’s frustrating and really gets to me. We both ended up in tears the other day, it’s just a really difficult situation.

Sandra also feels responsible for making sure Braian has enough to eat, a situation many Argentinian families with imprisoned loved ones face. She explains that while the prison is meant to provide meals, the food quality is poor.

Braian, like many prisoners, has been forced to share his food and cigarettes to avoid being harmed. He’s experienced violence inside, including being burned with hot water, hit with a metal can, and threatened with electric shock.

Fortunately, Braian was recently transferred to a prison with much improved conditions. According to Sandra, he’s now housed in a special unit for LGBT inmates. While his new space is a little larger, it’s heavily monitored with cameras, bars, and constant surveillance, and he shares it with only two other people.

To keep her son safe while he’s incarcerated, Sandra has limited visits to only family. She explained she doesn’t want friends visiting because they could potentially try to smuggle him contraband.

Oh my gosh, Sandra just explained everything, and it’s honestly so reassuring! She admitted her son did try weed, but she was SO clear that he *never* got addicted, never let it take over his life. She said, and I quote, ‘As a mother, you just can’t *know* what they’ll do when they’re out there in the world,’ which, honestly, is SO true! But she also emphasized she *never* set a bad example for them, and that just makes me love her even more. It’s like, she’s a real mom, dealing with real life, and being honest about it! I’m just obsessed with how relatable she is.

During our conversation, Nicole gave Sandra a shoebox filled with keepsakes from Braian’s childhood. Inside were things like a kindergarten award recognizing him as a ‘best friend,’ as well as certificates from his hairdressing training, his resume, and modeling pictures.

Sandra remembered he’d always been popular and driven to succeed. He was a doer, always eager to help others, even if they were struggling. Everyone described him as incredibly polite and respectful – a son who always treated his mother with deference.

It was impossible not to think Sandra was speaking as if Braian was gone for good.

Sandra, visibly upset, explained that she became furious when people suggested Braian could face a long prison sentence. ‘It’s not right to treat him this way,’ she said, her voice filled with emotion. ‘If they punish my son for selling a small amount of drugs, then something is seriously wrong with the justice system.’

Only two of the five people initially connected to Liam Payne’s death have been officially charged: Braian Paiz and Ezequiel Pereyra. Both come from working-class backgrounds and difficult neighborhoods.

Like Payne, Pereyra, a CasaSur hotel cleaner, has been accused of selling drugs and is currently in jail awaiting trial. Pereyra recently told reporters that Liam might have survived if the hotel staff had done things differently. Disturbing photos published by the Daily Mail last year showed the pop star being carried unconscious from the hotel lobby shortly before he died, raising concerns about how the hotel staff handled the situation.

Despite this, charges of negligent homicide were dropped against two CasaSur employees – Esteban Grassi, the head receptionist, and Gilda Martin, a senior manager – in February.

I was a little surprised when the Daily Mail reached out to Mr. Grassi recently about the anniversary of Payne’s passing. He seemed genuinely dismissive, and actually told us he hadn’t even realized the date had come and gone. It was a rather telling reaction, honestly.

As we said goodbye, Sandra shared a heartbreaking memory with me. She told me about the last hug she had with Nahuel, while they were both lying in bed at home. They held each other tightly, both of us crying, and she, as she always did, told him she’d never leave his side. It was such a tender, yet painful, moment.

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2025-10-17 19:26