Unanswered questions over Stacey Tierney’s death at Dreams strip club as cause of death revealed

Stacey Tierney lay dead in a room at Melbourne’s Dreams strip club for more than a day before help was called. The place had a “clean up” before police arrived. But now the case has been closed, despite so many unanswered questions about her death.

The Melbourne strip club where UK national Stacey Tierney was left for dead after overdosing on drugs wants to extend its trading hours despite a coroner stating there are “unanswered questions’’ about her death.

Ms Tierney, 29, who fell unconscious and died on a sofa in a private room at Dreams Gentlemen’s Club opposite Flinders Street Station on December 19, 2016, where she worked, sparked a Victoria Police investigation overseen by the homicide squad, about the 31 hours between when she was last seen alive and an ambulance being called.

The Herald Sun can reveal police have closed the case after a protracted investigation, including suspicions a man they questioned about Ms Tierney’s death had perjured himself.

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Stacey Tierney, 29, was left for dead in a strip club.

Stacey arrived in Australia in 2014.

“The Coronial inquest into this matter has concluded and so too has the Victoria Police investigation,’’ a police statement said.

“There will be no charges stemming from this incident an no further police action.’’

Among the allegations the UK Coroner’s Court heard last week was that Ms Tierney’s drink may have been spiked and an autopsy found she had traces of cocaine, MDMA and heroin in her system.

Investigations have also centred on the length of time it took for two men who were with her inside the venue, Joseph Berhe and Tomas Mesfun, to call an ambulance after they found Ms Tierney was unconscious in a “private room’’.

Dreams Gentlemen's Club near Flinders St station, where Stacey had only been working for a month. AAP

A UK coroner heard Stacey died from drug toxicity.

A Herald Sun investigation in January, 2017, revealed the death of Ms Tierney at “Dreams’’ after there was no public notification about a body being found inside the club.

She had been left for more than a day in a private room, the only room not monitored by cameras, before an ambulance was called. It was later found that a “clean up’’ had been conducted at the Elizabeth St venue before police were called.

Stockport Senior Coroner Alison Mutch found Ms Tierney’s death was caused by a “multi-drug toxicity’’ but the circumstances remained ``unclear’’ and that there were “unanswered questions’’.

The court heard Ms Tierney was last seen alive as she walked into a room for an “after-party’’ with five other people. About 31 hours later her body would be taken from the venue by ambulance officers.

“The precise circumstances regarding her ingestion of the substances and events prior to her death are unclear,’’ Senior Coroner Mutch found.

Stacey was last seen going into a private room at Dreams. Photo: INSTAGRAM

The club where Stacey died said it had run “without incident”.

The Coroner’s finding comes as Dreams has applied to the Melbourne City Council for an extension of its operating hours.

Its submission says: “Dreams Gentleman’s Club is an established, well-run venue which has been operating in its present location without incident for many years.”

The Club says it wanted the hours modified to meet demand, which was slow during the day subject to increased demand late at night.

It said the current trading hours did not reflect the “evolution of Melbourne as a 24-hour city.”

The Dreams submission describes the club as: “an up-market, classy and sophisticated entertainment centre.”

There have been eight objections to its application.

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There were attempts to clean up the scene where Stacey died.

Nobody called for help as Stacey lay dying.

Ms Tierney’s family, who gave evidence at the inquest, have demanded to know why no help was called.

Her mother, Michelle Frost, told the hearing: “They didn’t bother to help her,’’ UK national newspaper The Sun reported.

“They didn’t phone for an ambulance. She was a good person. I feel there’s been an injustice somewhere.

“Why would you watch somebody die?”

The victim’s stepfather, David Frost, told the hearing: “It leaves us all baffled. Surely they are hiding something?”

Mr Berhe and Mr Mesfun were both interviewed by Melbourne detectives, explaining the delay in calling an ambulance on being asleep themselves.

Phone records and text messages, however, contradict this version of events with one saying “This chick’s passed out.’’

Ms Tierney, who arrived in Australia in 2014, had worked as an exotic dancer but did not tell her family.

She had only worked at Dreams for about a month before her death at the strip club.

CCTV seized from the club shows Ms Tierney working on Saturday, December 17, 2016, about 8.30pm.

Greater Manchester Police Superintendent Detective Estelle Mathieson told the Coroner’s Court Ms Tierney was last seen alive at 3.41am the next day, going into the management office for the after-party where six people were present.

Another woman, the bar manager and his friend left leaving Ms Tierney with Mr Berhe and Mesfun, the court heard.

Supt Mathieson said both men had stated they had also slept having drank and taken drugs during the after-party.

But she added: “However phone records show that is not the case. We can’t account for what happened in that room.’’

Stacey (left) had not told her family about her job at the club.

Dreams wants to extend hours, saying it’s a ‘classy’ venue.

Police in Austalia have closed the case without charges.

At 12.30am on Monday, December 19, one of the men sends a text message to the bar manager: “This chick’s passed out and I can’t leave her. She’s scaring me.’’

Another text, sent about five hours later reads: I don’t know what to do anymore.’’

A pathology report concluded Ms Tierney died about 5.30am on Monday.

Coroner Ms Mutch asked the Supt Det Mathieson: “What’s clear is that when she became unwell nobody sought any help for her?

“And the Australian police and Australian prosecuting authorities take the view that does not amount to a criminal offence?’’

Det Supt Mathieson replied: ``They can’t prove a criminal offence.

“There’s clearly been an attempt to clean up the scene, (which) made it difficult to gather evidence.’’

“Once she disappears from CCTV she’s not seen alive again and the accounts we have been given are inconsistent.’’

Another six hours passed following Ms Tierney’s death before the venue’s managing director, Steve Kyriacou, arrived at 11.43am on Monday to find Mr Berhe and Mr Mesfun along with Ms Tierney lifeless body. A call is then made to emergency services.

— additional reporting by Brittany Vonow, The Sun.