Family calls for justice after Brit drank 22 shots and died at Polish strip club as police arrest seven 'gang members'

19 April 2023, 14:35 | Updated: 19 April 2023, 15:07

Mark died at a strip club in Poland
Mark died at a strip club in Poland. Picture: Facebook/CBSP

By Will Taylor

The sister of a British man who died after he was handed 22 shots in 90 minutes while visiting a strip club in Poland has called for justice.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Mark Cocks, 36, who was with a friend at Wild Night in Krakow, was robbed of £420 in zloty by staff in 2017, authorities in the country said. He had been on holiday with his friend.

He is thought to have been targeted by an organised crime gang which robs people in late night establishments. Seven arrests have been made.

Polish prosecutors said Mark, from Loftus in North Yorkshire, had a lethal blood alcohol content in his system after being plied with the booze.

Read more: Man who avoided jail for raping girl, 13, because he was too young launches legal challenge against conviction

Mark's grieving sister Samantha said nobody was being held accountable for his death despite police making a series of arrests against organised crime group operating in bars in recent weeks.

"The last we heard from the serious crime squad - who were investigating Mark's death and dealing with the inquest - was that they weren't looking into the crimes and goings on in those establishments," she said.

"So why is this coming out now?"

Mark died in 2017 after allegedly being plied with booze
Mark died in 2017 after allegedly being plied with booze. Picture: Facebook

Samantha said it was not true that he was drunk when he entered the club, as police claimed.

And she wrote on Wild Night's Facebook page: "My brother's death in this vile establishment needs to be made aware of!"

Another user replied: "Dodgy b******s, they are scum, it was my nephew who died in this bar.

"They fleeced him out of five transactions totalling £760, separated from his friend, then told his friend 'your mates dead'."

Mark was described as hard-working and "always socialising" when he died.

His mother, Pat, told Teesside Live previously: "Everybody loved Mark, he was really the life and soul.

"He was always happy and upbeat, and positive.

Polish police have cracked down on organised crime as a British tourist died when he was plied with alcohol
Polish police have cracked down on organised crime as a British tourist died when he was plied with alcohol. Picture: CBSP

"He didn’t have a bad word about anyone, and nobody had a bad word about him."

Authorities in Poland recently said: "One of the leads investigated by the investigators in the case concerns the victim who was driven to a state of intoxication, causing loss of consciousness, and then death as a result of acute alcohol poisoning.

There are 58 suspects in a case surrounding organised crime members extorting money from customers in late night establishments in Poland.

Read more: GMP continues fight back against domestic and sexual abuse with 20,000 arrests made in a year

Investigators said in a statement: "According to the findings of the investigators, the activities of the group were aimed at committing crimes to the detriment of club customers by leading them to a state of deprivation of awareness and perception [...]

A series of arrests have been made in Poland
A series of arrests have been made in Poland. Picture: CBSP

"The perpetrators, taking advantage of the mental and physical condition of the victims, made payment transactions using payment cards or other financial instruments for goods and services allegedly offered in the club.

"In some cases, through electronic banking, on devices owned by customers, loans were also allowed to be taken or deposits or savings accounts were closed, and the funds accumulated there were transferred to the accounts of companies operating clubs."

They added: "To the persons detained during the recent activities, the Prosecutor presented among other charges, allegations of participation in an organised crime group, committing robberies and fraud to the detriment of clients of clubs from Krakow and Warsaw."

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Breaking
Queen Camilla is unwell with a chest infection and has withdrawn from her engagements this week

The Queen withdraws from engagements this week after being taken ill, Buckingham Palace announces

Tesco customers are furious after being forced to wait hours to book a Christmas delivery slot.

'It's like getting Beyonce tickets': Fury as Tesco shoppers face 'ridiculous' online queues for Christmas delivery slots

Ladbaby has broken its silence on historic allegations of gripping.

Charity chart-topper Ladbaby breaks his silence on 'groping' allegations

Labour MP Chris Webb 'attacked and mugged' near London flat by phone snatching gang

Labour MP Chris Webb 'attacked and mugged' near London flat by phone snatching gang

The White House has been barricaded and restaurants and stores boarded up as tensions rise over the election.

Washington DC braces for unrest as White House is barricaded and stores boarded up ahead of US election

Sir Chris Hoy said 'if you're over the age of 45, go and ask your doctor' for screening

Sir Chris Hoy calls for men to be offered prostate cancer screening from the age of 45 after his terminal diagnosis

Kamala Harris went door-knocking in Pennsylvania on the night before the election

Kamala Harris surprises residents in Pennsylvania as she goes door-knocking in final bid to win votes

Nearly 600 police officers sacked in a year amid as shocking figures reveal extent of misconduct crackdown

Nearly 600 police officers sacked in a year as shocking figures reveal extent of misconduct crackdown

Hundreds of people died in the devastating flooding in Spain

British man who survived Valencia floods describes hearing his neighbours’ horrifying final screams before they died

Amy Dowden said she was ‘heartbroken' as she left this year's Strictly Come Dancing

Amy Dowden says her ‘heart is breaking’ after she confirmed she will not return to Strictly

Anthony Scaramucci said the row between Trump and Labour would blow over

'Anglophile' Trump's row with Starmer will have 'no impact' on wider relations with UK, Anthony Scaramucci says

Nick Ferrari attends his first Trump rally in Pennsylvania as he meets the crowd in 'the poorest city in the United States'

Nick Ferrari attends his first Trump rally in Pennsylvania as he meets the crowd in 'the poorest city in the US'

Exclusive
Nick Ferrari bumps into Nigel Farage in Pennsylvania as he reflects on Trump's "remarkable" foreign policy achievements

Nick Ferrari bumps into Nigel Farage in Pennsylvania as he reflects on Trump's 'near-death' experience

Live
Americans are heading to the polls in their millions today

US Presidential Election 2024 LIVE: Millions of Americans head to the polls in the final race for the White House

Proud Boys claim they will go to voting places as Trump repeats election fraud lies.

Proud Boys making plans to mobilise as Trump repeats election fraud lies

File photo of a real NHS dentist

Desperate Brits fall for scam 'fake NHS dentists' amid years-long waits for appointments