Stacey Tierney: Two men present during strip club death

Stacey Tierney died in the Dreams Gentlemen's Club in Melbourne, Australia

A British fitness instructor died of a drugs overdose while alone with two men in an Australian strip club where she worked, an inquest heard.

Neither Joseph Berhe or Tomas Mesfun called an ambulance after 29-year-old Stacey Tierney passed out, Stockport Coroner's Court heard.

Both men gave "inconsistent" accounts claiming they were asleep most of the time, the hearing was told.

There have been no prosecutions over Ms Tierney's death, the coroner heard.

Ms Tierney, from Withington in Manchester, died in December 2016 after travelling to Australia, where she worked in the Dreams Gentlemen's Club in Melbourne, Victoria.

The inquest heard she did not like the work but the money was good and she had gained a study visa to save up to pay for a nursing studies course.

Phone records

Ms Tierney was last seen alive in the early hours of 18 December, going into the club's management offices for an after party.

Six people were present at the time but three left, leaving Ms Tierney with Mr Berhe and Mr Mesfun, the inquest heard.

Det Supt Estelle Mathieson, from Greater Manchester Police, said both men subsequently claimed they had taken drink and drugs and were asleep most of the time.

"However phone records show that is not the case," she said

At 00:30 the following day, 19 December, a text message was sent to the bar manager by one of the men saying: "This chick's passed out and I can't leave her. She's scaring me."

Around 05:30 a second message read: "I don't know what to do any more."

"Unanswered questions"

A pathology report concluded Miss Tierney died around 05:30 on 19 December.

The inquest heard another six hours passed before bar owner Steve Kyriacou arrived at 11:43 to find Mr Berhe and Mr Mesfun along with Ms Tierney's lifeless body on a sofa and emergency services were called.

Ms Tierney's mother Michelle Frost told the hearing: "They didn't bother to help her. Why would you watch somebody die?"

Alison Mutch, senior coroner for South Manchester, found Ms Tierney's death was caused by a combination of drug toxicity from alcohol, heroin, ecstasy and cocaine.

The coroner recorded an open verdict, saying there were still "unanswered questions" about what happened.