Latest news with #Tullamore
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Fiona Pender: Search ends for missing pregnant woman
Gardaí (Irish police) investigating the disappearance and murder of a pregnant Irish woman have concluded the search operation in the Slieve Bloom mountains in County Laois.A new search had been under way to try to find the remains of Fiona Pender, 25, who went missing in County was last seen at about 06:00 local time, on 23 August 1996 at her flat on Church Street, results of the searches are not being released for operational reasons. On Monday gardaí said they had reclassified their missing person investigation to a murder completed a search of land near Killeigh in County Offaly on Tuesday, the search moved to the Slieve Bloom mountains close to Clonaslee in County Laois on Wednesday. Killeigh and Clonaslee are about a 10-minute drive apart across the county Pender was 5'5" in height, had long blonde hair and was said to be looking forward to the birth of her was wearing white leggings and bright coloured clothing when she went missing. Who was Fiona Pender? Fiona Pender grew up in Tullamore, County Offaly, in a family that has suffered a number of had two brothers, but just over a year before Fiona went missing her brother Mark died in motorcycle the time of her disappearance in August 1996, Fiona was working as a hairdresser and living with her boyfriend in a flat in Church Street in her had spent the previous day "shopping for baby clothes with her mother in Tullamore," according to her missing person profile, external."She was in good form and was looking forward to the birth of her baby," the garda website soon as she went missing, the Pender family began a long campaign seeking the public's help to find Fiona, led by her mother 2000, almost four years after Fiona went missing, her 50-year-old father Sean Pender was found dead in the family widow believes he took his own life, telling a Tullamore reporter: "He couldn't live without his children.", externalThe investigation into Fiona's disappearance continued for 28 years without success, despite a number of searches and digs in different May 2008, a hillwalker came across a makeshift cross which had been recently put up in Monicknew Woods in the Slieve Bloom planks of wood had been hammered together and written on the cross were the words: "Fiona Pender. Buried here, August 22nd, 1996."Gardaí began a search of a two-acre site in the area, assisted by soldiers and cadaver dogs, but there was no sign of Ms Pender's mother Josephine died aged 68 in 2017, external, having never discovered the fate of her only daughter and her unborn Irish Times reported that a "candle of hope" was placed on the altar during her funeral "in memory of all missing people".In tribute to her daughter, a section of walkway along the Grand Canal outside Tullamore is known as the Fiona Pender Way.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Sennheiser's New HD 505 Headphones Bring Audiophile Sound To The Masses
Sennheiser has begun shipping its HD 505 Copper headphones. These open-back audiophile headphones are aimed at music lovers who want to upgrade their headphone listening to the next level. The HD505 headphones offer classic Sennheiser tuning with plenty of treble detail and a rich bass. The lightweight design is made for comfort and should please budding audiophiles looking for the finessed sound that only open-back headphones can deliver. 'The HD 505 is for anyone ready to experience the audio awakening a great set of Sennheiser headphones is known for,' says Klaus Hanselmann, Sennheiser's audiophile product manager. 'There is something truly special in here that puts serious listening within arm's reach of the emerging audiophile or gamer.' These new headphones with their custom-designed 120Ω dynamic drivers housed in an open earcup are a big step up from the $100 closed-back headphones that tend to dominate the market. The drivers are manufactured at Sennheiser's audiophile factory in Tullamore, Ireland, the same facility that turns out a lot of the brand's high-end headphones and IEMs. With a frequency response ranging 12Hz to 38,500Hz, plus total harmonic distortion measuring less than 0.2%, the Sennheiser HD505 Copper have a tuning that delivers a balanced sound signature with a punchy bass, clear mids and a top end that has very few harsh edges. By angling the drivers to recreate the classic triangular positioning of a set of nearfield loudspeakers, the HD505 headphones manage to project an expansive soundstage that has the kind of imaging that makes the listener feel as if they are in the front row of a concert. Sennheiser's new HD 505 headphones are based on the brand's HD 500 chassis, which has been lauded for its comfort and lightweight fit. The icing on the cake is the headphones' copper accents that give them a look of sophistication. The surprising aspect of these headphones is how light they are to wear. Weighing in at just 237g, the HD 505 are designed to provide a level of comfort that makes extended listening sessions truly enjoyable. Thanks to their open-back design, the HD505 doesn't suffer from thermal build-up, keeping ears cool and fresh even after three hours of listening to prog rock. The HD505 are supplied with a detachable 1.8m cable terminated with a single-ended 3.5mm connector and a 6.3mm adapter for use with a wide range of audio sources like amplifiers, sound cards, audio interfaces and A/V receivers. As with all Sennheiser's 500 series headphones, there's a wide range of cables in different lengths and plug types available for the HD505. There are also alternative ear pads available and they can be easily swapped over by the user without the need for specialist tools. Sennheiser's modular design means the HD 505 can adapt to changing setups. For example, it's possible to swap out the cable to a balanced mode or even add one with an inline microphone for making phone calls. As with all open-back headphones, the Sennheiser HD505 leak quite a bit of sound and don't have any passive isolation. What this means in practice is that these are headphones best used for solo listening in a quiet place. So, if that sounds like your kind of thing, these headphones could be an affordable way to get an open and laid-back audiophile sound. The Sennheiser HD 505 Copper open-back headphones are available now from Sennheiser and and priced at $249.95 / £229.99 / €279,90. Wearing style: Circumaural. Drivers: Dynamic, open-back. Ear pad material: Velour. Frequency response: 12Hz–38.5kHz. Impedance: 120Ω. Sound pressure level (SPL): 107.9dB (1kHz / 1Vrms). THD, total harmonic distortion: <0.2 % (1kHz / 90dB SPL). Weight (w/o cable): 237g. Cable: 1.8m cable with 3.5 mm jack plug, detachable, left side.
Irish Times
3 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Jozef Puska revealed three stab wounds on night of Ashling Murphy murder, court hears
Jozef Puska's brother denied to gardaí that he told someone to dispose of the knife used to murder schoolteacher Ashling Murphy, the Central Criminal Court has heard. The jury also heard Lubomir Puska jnr (37) denied he asked anyone to dispose of the clothes Jozef Puska wore when he murdered Ms Murphy. Jozef Puska (35) attacked Ms Murphy (23) on the canal towpath at Cappincur in Tullamore on January 12th, 2022. She died having suffered 12 sharp force injuries to her neck, 11 of which were stab wounds. He was convicted of her murder. His brothers Lubomir Puska jnr and Marek Puska (36) are charged with withholding information while knowing or believing it might materially assist in apprehending, prosecuting or convicting Jozef Puska for a serious offence. READ MORE Both men have pleaded not guilty. Jozefina Grundzova (31), who is married to Marek Puska, and Viera Gaziova (38), who is married to Lubomir Puska jnr, are accused of assisting in burning clothing without reasonable excuse, intending to impede the apprehension or prosecution of Jozef Puska, knowing or believing him to have committed murder or a similar arrestable offence. They have pleaded not guilty. All the accused have an address at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Tullamore, Co Offaly. The jury previously heard Lubomir Puska jnr said in his first statement to gardaí that he saw his brother Jozef Puska in the early afternoon on the day of the murder. He seemed 'a bit sad, not in a good mood' , Lubomir Puska jnr said. However, he later returned to the Garda station and apologised for lying, saying Jozef Puska arrived home on the night of January 12th looking like he had been struck on the forehead. The jury on Wednesday watched video footage of Lubomir Puska jnr's interview with gardaí on January 18th, 2022, in which he said he returned home on the day of the murder to find his brother Jozef Puska looking 'like he was beaten by someone'. Through a Slovakian interpreter, Lubomir Puska jnr said Jozef Puska was 'swollen on the forehead' and his cheek was red like he had been scraped. He said his brother had 'a weird walk, kind of broken'. He told gardaí his brother, who was just out of the shower, opened his towel to reveal three stab wounds. He told gardaí he asked Jozef Puska what had happened to him, and his brother replied that he had wanted to kill himself and had done a 'horrendous thing'. 'He said when he was stabbing himself, there was a girl running or exercising, she went towards him,' the accused told gardaí. 'She said: 'What are you doing? Don't do it, you are too young.' He said to her, 'Leave me alone, it's my life, my business.'' The accused said Jozef Puska 'probably wanted to push her away to leave him alone', but he thought he 'cut her'. After telling the gardaí this, the accused said it had been 'very heavy, very hard to say'. [ Brother of Ashling Murphy murderer told gardaí back medication was affecting his memory Opens in new window ] He told gardaí he could not believe what his brother was telling him, so he asked him again what he had done. He said his brother told him: 'I don't know whether I hurt her so much, but I think I did ... it must have been an accident, I didn't want to do this, but I just switched my hand as she was coming near me.' The accused said he told his brother to tell their parents immediately what he had done, to which Jozef Puska said he would tell them after they brought him to Dublin. The accused said he told his brother 'don't make any secrets'. The trial continues on Thursday before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs and a jury of seven men and five women.
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Jozef Puska's brother denied telling someone to dispose of knife used to murder Ashling Murphy, jury hears
Jozef Puska's brother denied to gardaí that he told someone to dispose of the knife used to murder schoolteacher Ashling Murphy, the Central Criminal Court has heard. The jury also heard that Lubomir Puska Jnr (37) denied that he had asked anyone to dispose of the clothes worn by his brother on the day Jozef Puska murdered Ms Murphy. Advertisement Jozef Puska (35) attacked Ms Murphy (23) on the canal towpath at Cappincur in Tullamore on January 12th, 2022. She died having suffered 12 sharp force injuries to her neck, 11 of which were stab wounds. Puska's brothers, Lubomir Puska Jnr and Marek Puska (36), are charged with withholding information, knowing or believing that the information might be of material assistance in securing the apprehension, prosecution, or conviction of Jozef Puska for a serious offence involving loss of human life or serious personal injury to another. From left: Lubomir Puska (35), Viera Gaziona (38), Jozefina Grundzova (31) and Marek Puska (34), who have addresses in Mucklagh, Tullamore, Co Offaly. Photo: Collins Both men have pleaded not guilty to the offences, which are charged under the Offences Against the State, Amendment Act 1988. Jozefina Grundzova (31), who is married to Marek Puska, and Viera Gaziova (38), who is married to Lubomir Puska Jnr, are accused of assisting in burning clothing between January 12th and 14th, without reasonable excuse, intending to impede the apprehension or prosecution of Jozef Puska, knowing or believing him to have committed the offence of murder or some other arrestable offence within the same category or of a similar nature. Advertisement They have pleaded not guilty to the offences, which are charged under the Criminal Law Act 1997. All the accused have an address at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Tullamore, Co Offaly. The jury previously heard that in his first statement to gardaí, Lubomir Jnr said he first saw his brother Jozef in the early afternoon that day. He seemed "a bit sad, not in a good mood," Lubomir Jnr said. He told gardaí that he left the house at about 11.30 and did not see his brother again. However, he later returned to the garda station and made a second statement, in which he apologised for lying and said that when Jozef arrived home on the night of January 12th, it looked like he had been struck on the forehead. Advertisement The jury at the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday watched video footage of Lubomir Jnr's interview with gardaí on January 18th, 2022, in which he said he returned home on the day Ms Murphy was murdered to find his brother Jozef looking 'like he was beaten by someone'. Through a Slovakian interpreter, Lubomir Jnr said that Jozef was 'swollen on the forehead' and his cheek was red like he had been scraped. He said his brother had 'a weird walk, kind of broken,' as though something had happened to him. He told the gardaí that his brother, who was just out of the shower, opened the towel he was wearing to reveal three stab wounds. 'He looked drunk, but he wasn't drunk,' said Lubomir Jnr. He told gardaí that he asked Jozef what had happened to him, to which his brother replied that he had wanted to kill himself and he had done a 'horrendous thing'. Advertisement 'He said when he was stabbing himself, there was a girl running or exercising, she went towards him,' the accused told gardaí. 'She said: 'What are you doing? Don't do it, you are too young.' He said to her, 'Leave me alone, it's my life, my business.'' The accused said that Jozef 'probably wanted to push her away to leave him alone', but he thought that Jozef 'cut her with the knife'. After telling the gardaí this, the accused said it had been 'very heavy, very hard to say'. 'I never said anything like that in my life,' said the accused. He told gardaí that he could not believe what his brother was telling him, so he asked him again what he had done. He said that Jozef told him: 'I don't know whether I hurt her so much, but I think I did... it must have been an accident, I didn't want to do this, but I just switched my hand as she was coming near me.' Advertisement The accused said he told his brother to tell their parents immediately what he had done, to which Jozef said that he would tell them but only after they brought him to Dublin. The accused said he told his brother to tell their parents everything and 'don't make any secrets'. In a further interview, the accused told gardaí that he thought Jozef had his clothes in the bathroom with him. When asked if anyone removed those clothes, he said that he did not know. Detective Garda Joanne O'Sullivan gave evidence to prosecution counsel Sean Gillane SC of the accused's next interview with gardaí, conducted on January 26th, 2022. In this interview, it was put to the accused that someone had asked his wife to move Josef's clothes and put them beside the bin. Ireland Jozef Puska was 'a bit sad' on day of Ashling Murp... Read More 'I don't know who it was, it wasn't me,' replied the accused. In a further interview on January 27th, 2022, it was put to the accused that when he knew Jozef had murdered Ms Murphy, he 'bundled him up and sent him to Dublin' before giving instructions to dispose of the clothes. The accused denied this and also denied that he had asked anyone to dispose of the knife. The trial continues on Thursday before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs and a jury of seven men and five women.
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Search begins in Laois as part of Fiona Pender murder investigation
A search on open ground in Co Laois has begun on Wednesday as part of the investigation into the disappearance and murder of Fiona Pender. Gardaí announced last week that they would excavate lands in Co Offaly as part of their investigation into the disappearance of Fiona Pender almost 30 years ago, which has been upgraded to a murder probe. Advertisement On Wednesday, they announced open grounds in Co Laois would be subjected to excavation, technical and forensic examinations. Garda during a search operation that was launched on open ground in Tullamore, Co Offaly, over the disappearance of Fiona Pender (Niall Carson/PA) Ms Pender, who was aged 25 and seven months pregnant when she went missing, was last seen at around 6am on August 23 1996 at her flat in Church Street in Tullamore, Co Offaly. Over the past 28 years, An Garda Síochána said they have carried out various inquiries and collated 300 statements of evidence and a number of exhibits. 'Investigating gardaí continue to appeal to any person with any information in relation to the disappearance of Fiona in the early morning of Friday 23rd August 1996, who has not spoken to Gardai, to please come forward and speak to our investigation team,' a Garda statement said. Advertisement Fiona Pender, 25, was seven months pregnant when she went missing almost 30 years ago (Irish Police/PA) 'Gardaí continue to appeal to any person who may have previously come forward who felt they could not provide gardaí with all the information they had in relation to this matter, to contact the investigation team again. 'An Garda Siochana appeals to anyone with any information, no matter how small or insignificant you might believe it to be, to contact Tullamore Garda Station on 057 932 7600, or any Garda Station. 'Anyone who wishes to provide information confidentially should contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.'
