Owner of Australian strip club where British dancer was found dead with a cocktail of drugs in her system moans that her death ‘damaged his business’ as he fights to keep liquor licence
- Stacey Tierney was found dead inside Dreams Gentlemen’s Club in Melbourne
- The 29-year-old found dead in managers lounge in 2016 from cocktail of drugs
- Owner Salvatore Aparo is defending his business in a bid to retain liquor licence
- He accepted a lot of responsibility’ but it could ‘only go so far’, he told inquiry
The owner of an Australian strip club where a British dancer lay dead for more than a day has told an inquiry that her mysterious death ‘damaged his business’ as he fights to keep his liquor licence.
Stacey Tierney, 29, from Withington, Manchester, was working as a stripper at Dreams Gentleman’s Club on Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, when she was found dead in a private manager’s lounge on 18 December 2016
A post-mortem revealed a cocktail of drugs in her system including ecstacy, cocaine and heroin. The UK inquest into her death at Stockport Coroner’s Court heard that her boss found her body 30 hours after she was last seen working.
And Salvatore Aparo, the owner of Dreams Gentleman’s Club in Melbourne, has argued to the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission inquiry why he is suitable to retain his liquor licence in light of the tragic death.
He told the hearing that he was a ‘hands-off’ operator, and trusted other members of staff to manage the venue since he was also running a construction business where he mostly delegated jobs at Dreams to his trusted managers, instead just dropping in a few times a week and having weekly phone calls.
He added that he is now a ‘hands-on’ owner, running the club in Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, with his fiancée.
When asked if he put his trust in the wrong people, Mr Aparo said: ‘We all learn by our mistakes.’
The owner of an Australian strip club where British dancer Stacey Tierney, 29 (pictured), dead for more than a day has told an inquiry that her death ‘damaged his business’ as he fights to keep liquor licence
He described the death of Ms Tierney, a former fitness instructor, as an ’emotional rollercoaster’, and it had ‘damaged the business’ reputation’.
Though he said he accepted a ‘lot of responsibility’, it could ‘only go so far’, the Herald Sun reported.
The inquiry was also told there was a culture of staff drinking at the club on their days off.
Mr Aparo was questioned about the manager’s lounge where Ms Tierney was found dead, which police discovered had been ‘cleaned up’ before officers arrived.
An earlier inquest into Ms Tierney’s death heard that her boss found her body 30 hours after she was last seen working, however, two men Joseph Berhe and Tomas Mesfun, were in the room with her throughout that time, including when she passed out and later died.
As paramedics attended the scene on December 19, 2016, one of the men was overheard telling another man: ‘I think we’re alright here.’
The inquest heard that a fellow reveller had sent text messages saying: ‘This chick has passed out and I can’t leave her; it’s scaring me.’
One of the men in the room had claimed to be asleep for much of the duration of the party, but phone records revealed that he had been active on the device.
The inquest was told a pathologist had given an estimated time of death of 5.30am on December 18, but police were not alerted until about 12pm on December 19.
Ms Tierney, from Withington, Manchester (pictured), was working as a stripper at Dreams Gentleman’s Club when she was found dead on 18 December 2016 in a private manager’s lounge. A post-mortem revealed a cocktail of drugs in her system including ecstacy, cocaine and heroin
Det Matheson added: ‘Just shortly after 5.30am one of the main suspects messages the manager at 5.34am and says: ‘I don’t know what to do, she’s unresponsive.’
Stacey’s mother Michelle Frost, of Withington, Manchester, wept as she said: ‘I don’t think we will ever get the answers we want as I don’t think they are telling the truth.
‘Nobody tried to help her, The didn’t pick up the phone for an ambulance and I don’t know why.’
Two men Joseph Berhe and Tomas Mesfun, were in the room with her throughout that time, including when she passed out and later died. They were quizzed by police over the death but were released without charge.
Mr Aparo said it was his private room when he attended the club. The hearing heard that managers had access to it and 24-hour access to the club.
He denied the club operated after hours and outside its licensing hours: ‘I don’t know why people are implying there are parties – there were no parties, I run a very respectable business.
‘We did not have a rule about upper management not being able to come in on their night off.
‘The tragedy is very heartfelt across the board. This is something I would not wish upon anyone. This is a very, very tragic situation.’
Mr Aparo said the club was now running better after he put in new systems.
At an inquest into her death, held in Stockport in the UK in 2018, Ms Tierney’s family accused people who were in the club when she died of being ‘inhumane’.
Stacey’s mother Michelle Frost, of Withington, Manchester, wept as she said: ‘I don’t think we will ever get the answers we want as I don’t think they are telling the truth.
‘Nobody tried to help her, The didn’t pick up the phone for an ambulance and I don’t know why.
‘To watch somebody die like that. They have got reasons but what are these reasons?
Salvatore Aparo, the owner of Dreams Gentleman’s Club in Melbourne (pictured), has argued to the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission inquiry why he is suitable to retain his liquor licence in light of the tragic death. He told the hearing that he was a ‘hands-off’ operator, and trusted other members of staff to manage the venue
‘That’s what I feel; it stinks, it’s lies, how can a human being not do something to help somebody else.
‘The was a good person and I feel there’s been an injustice somewhere but I don’t think I will ever find the truth.’
The 2018 inquest in Stockport was told Miss Tierney had moved to Victoria in Australia after her boyfriend got an engineering job. Her study visa was accepted in November 2016 and she started working at Dreams Gentleman’s Club.
A hearing heard that she had told friends she ‘didn’t like’ working at the club but she was trying to save up to fund her studies and ‘the money was good’.
She arrived at the club at 8.20pm on December 17 and worked into the early hours of the morning.
The inquiry was also told there was a culture of staff drinking at Dreams Gentleman’s Club (pictured) on their days off. Mr Aparo was questioned about the manager’s lounge where Ms Tierney was found dead, which police discovered had been ‘cleaned up’ before officers arrived
After all the customers had left the premises at about 4am, staff held at after-party in the manager’s office.
Det Supt Estelle Matheson, from Greater Manchester Police, said: ‘It’s almost impossible to ascertain what happened in that room.
‘That room was the one place where there was no CCTV footage. Once she disappears into that room she is not seen alive again.
‘The accounts that were given were inconsistent, some aspects were similar, but there were many inconsistencies with the accounts given.’
The Gambling and Casino Control Commission will do an onsite inspection at the club next week and deliver its finding on the liquor license in June.
Timeline of tragedy: How Stacey Tierney’s body was found two days after she arrived for work
Saturday, December 17, 2016:
8.30pm: Miss Tierney begins her shift at the club around.
She is seen on CCTV working normally and ‘does not appear to be overly intoxicated’.
3.41am: After work, in the early hours of the next day Miss Tierny is seen going into the management offices for an after party. Six people entered the office.
Some time later: Another woman, the bar manager and his friend left, CCTV revealed. But Miss Tierney remained with Berhe and Mesfun.
12:30am, Sunday December 18: A text message is sent to the bar manager saying: ‘This chick’s passed out and I can’t leave her. She’s scaring me.’
5.30am: A second message read: ‘I don’t know what to do any more.’
Miss Tierney dies around this time (pathology reports show).
11.43am, Monday December 19: Steve Kyriacou, arrived at to find Berhe and Mesfun along with Miss Tierney’s lifeless body on a sofa and emergency services were called.
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