Latest news with #Wollongong
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Revealed: The incredible donation to Dragons' NRLW squad from UFC star Alex Volkanovski - 'something that I wanted to do'
Aussie UFC legend Alex Volkanovski has warmed the hearts of many footy fans after generously donating $10,000 towards St George Illawarra's NRLW program. Volkanovski, 36, has also pledged to assist the club's wrestling program under new women's coach Nathan Cross. 'It's just something that I wanted to do. The sport is growing so much in this region,' Volkanovski told News Corp. 'If you can invest in the sport's growth, and create more opportunities, that's how it's going to get better. 'If there's a bit of money I can donate to help them be professional athletes, and maybe give those opportunities – whether it's strength and conditioning, physios, they need to help that process.' Volkanovski - a father of three girls - pointed to the success of the Matildas as proof women's sport can thrive in Australia if appropriate funding follows. His five-figure sum will go towards better equipment, camps, facilities, diet and nutrition support. Born in Wollongong on the NSW south coast, 'Volk' was never going to pass on his hard earned to anyone else but the Red V. Having himself waited years for mixed martial arts to be properly resourced, he understands the struggles semi-professional athletes face. 'I know that when I was able to go professional and fulltime, I (soon) went to a new level,' he said. 'I'm not expecting that money will be able to fix everything, but if we can point it in the right direction, we can watch the sport grow.' Volkanovski first entered the Octagon as a professional in 2016, and almost a decade later is one of the most respected figures in the sport globally. Boasting a career record of 27-4, with 13 wins via knockout, 'The Great' is a two-time UFC World Featherweight Champion. Previously, Volkanovski was a standout for Warilla Gorillas in the Group 7 Rugby League competition. In 2010 he was awarded the prestigious Mick Cronin Medal after being judged the league's best player.
ABC News
a day ago
- General
- ABC News
Missing Wollongong mother Pauline Sowry murdered 32 years ago after 'coming into money'
A court has heard a mother who has been missing for 32 years was allegedly murdered and dumped in bushland after "coming into money". There was a breakthrough in the cold case of missing Wollongong woman Pauline Sowry on Thursday when a 64-year-old man was arrested in relation to her disappearance in June 1994. The 49-year-old, also known by her married name Pauline Lawrence, was last seen by her family in the northern suburbs of Wollongong around Christmas of 1993. On Thursday, Illawarra man Leon Boeyen was charged with being an accessory after the fact to her murder and helping to conceal the offence. He faced Wollongong Local Court on Friday where he applied for bail. Magistrate Leslie William Mabbutt said the accused had been secretly recorded by police inside his home, making admissions to his involvement with Ms Sowry's death. "He speaks about where the murderers are now, in South Australia." Ms Sowry's body has never been found. Magistrate Mabbutt told the court the accused knows the identity of the killers but declined to reveal them as he was "concerned about his safety". "The accused assisted the murderers after the event to avoid them being identified and brought to justice," he said. Magistrate Mabbutt told the court Ms Sowry had "come into money" in June 1994 and an argument about it took place before Ms Sowry was taken from a Gray Street unit at Woonona to bushland on O'Briens Road, Figtree, and murdered. "She was taken and murdered, and the accused has known since," Magistrate Mabbutt said. The court heard two months later the accused contacted Ms Sowry's son Jason Lawrence asking him to collect her belongings. "[Sowry said] she had left, and he didn't know where she had gone," Magistrate Mabutt said. It is alleged an unknown male handed over Ms Sowry's handbag to her son at the accused's home. At the time of her disappearance Ms Sowry had recently separated from her husband, the father of her son. He was ruled out as a person of interest. The court heard Mr Boeyen had a 28-page criminal history, with the last offence committed in 2017. Defence lawyer Matt Ward applied for bail on Friday claiming his client was vulnerable due to his schizophrenia diagnosis, age, and the amount of time he would await potential trial. Mr Ward acknowledged his client's criminal history but said he had never breached bail and always came to court for his appearances. "In the last eight years, this person has been at liberty in this community with all the people who live in it and has committed no offence during that time," Mr Ward said. Crown Prosecutor Catherine Gray told the court she held concerns over the accused's bail application due to his track record of interfering with police investigations. "In relation to the primary interference with prosecution witnesses we don't have to wonder what the accused will do — he's already approached prosecution witnesses, and police have evidence of that," Ms Gray said. "We can expect more of the same of that and the court cannot trust the accused," she said. Mr Boeyen was refused bail and the case was adjourned for further mention on July 30 at Wollongong Local Court.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Dramatic breakthrough more than three decades after Aussie mum vanished without a trace in a cold case that gripped Australia
A man has been charged over the suspicious disappearance of a mother two years after a probe in the cold case reopened. Pauline Sowry, 49, went missing in December 1993 from Wollongong, south of Sydney. Her whereabouts remain unknown. An inquest in 2008 found she had died, despite an unconfirmed sighting in 1994. NSW Police strike force Anthea was formed in 2022 to re-examine the circumstances of the case. Following extensive inquiries, police arrested a Wollongong man, 64, at a unit in Gywnneville on Thursday morning. Footage showed officers leading a man with a long, grey ponytail from the unit to the back of a police car. He was taken to Wollongong Police Station, where charged with accessory after the fact to murder and conceal serious indictable offence. The man was refused bail and will appear in Wollongong Local Court on Friday. The breakthrough has been a long time coming for Ms Sowry's family. 'We have waited more than 30 years to hear today's news,' her son Jason Lawrence said in a statement shared by police. 'We miss her every day and her disappearance has taken a huge toll on myself and our entire family. 'We thank the police officers for never giving up hope and we look forward to the outcome of this investigation.' Southern Region Assistant Commissioner Joe Cassar said police worked tirelessly to close the case. The NSW government offered a $500,000 reward in March 2024 for any information about Ms Sowry's disappearance. Local officers conducted three searches as part of their investigation in 2023 and 2024 and found items of clothing belonging to Ms Sowry, who also went by her married name Pauline Lawrence. Those items included a cream button-down long sleeve blouse with a coloured stitching and black pants. A key area of interest was bushland in Figtree, south of Wollongong. In May 2024, police called on the public to share information about a 'pristine' white 1968 Holden HK Kingswood sedan which detectives believed Ms Sowry may have travelled in. 'During last year's renewed appeal for information, I made a promise that the NSW Police would leave no stone unturned to seek a resolution,' Assistant Commissioner Cassar said. 'The persistence and effort by my officers has resulted in today's arrest. 'I commend the tireless commitment of our officers in finding answers for Pauline's family and they continue to work hard to bring this matter before the courts.' He added Ms Sowry's disappearance 'is still subject to an investigation'. 'Even from whatever transpires from today's interview (with the man), I would expect there will be continued investigations until we can locate Pauline, and to see if there are any other suspects or pieces of evidence we may need to locate,' he said. 'It's an open investigation.' Items seized during Thursday's arrest will under forensic testing. Mr Cassar confirmed the man arrested was a 'significant person who can certainly assist us with this inquiry' and was a 'person of interest' during investigations. 'The reason for his arrest is specifically in relation to the suspected disappearance of Pauline,' he said. 'There is a confirmed connection between this individual and Pauline.' Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Man arrested three decades after NSW woman Pauline Sowry disappeared from Wollongong
A man has been arrested three decades after a New South Wales mother disappeared and three years after her cold case was reopened. Pauline Sowry, also known by her married name Pauline Lawrence, was 49 when last seen by her family in the northern suburbs of Wollongong in December 1993. Her whereabouts remain unknown, although a 2008 coronial inquest found she had died, most likely after an unconfirmed sighting in 1994. Police said a 64-year-old man was arrested on Thursday at a unit in Gywnneville. He remained in custody. Pauline's son, Jason Lawrence, said: 'We have waited more than 30 years.' 'We welcome today's news that a person has been arrested in relation to the suspicious disappearance of our beloved mum,' he said. 'We miss her every day, and her disappearance has taken a huge toll on myself and our entire family. We thank the police officers for never giving up hope and we look forward to the outcome of this investigation.' Police reopened the investigation in 2022. In December 2024, police found black pants and a cream button-down blouse with white and orange stitching after searching the Illawarra escarpment at Figtree. Police did not confirm whether the clothing belonged to Sowry but said the items included hand-stitching in coloured cotton and the mother was known for altering clothing for herself and her children. In March last year, the police and state government announced a $500,000 reward for information leading to the 'arrest and conviction of anyone responsible'. Sign up to Afternoon Update Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Responses to that announcement led officers to search bushland, including in October 2024. NSW police's southern region assistant commissioner, Joe Cassar, said on Thursday: 'I made a promise that the NSW police would leave no stone unturned to seek a resolution and the persistence and effort by my officers has resulted in today's arrest.' 'I commend the tireless commitment of our officers in finding answers for Pauline's family and they continue to work hard to bring this matter before the courts,' he said.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
NSW Police arrest man 30 years after disappearance of Illawarra mum Pauline Sowry
A man has been arrested 30 years on from the disappearance of Pauline Sowry. The shock breakthrough in the cold case was announced on Thursday morning and follows the formation of Strike Force Anthea in 2022 that was set up to examine the circumstances surrounding Ms Sowry's disappearance. Ms Sowry, also known by her married name Pauline Lawrence, was 49 years old when she was last seen by her family in the northern suburbs of Wollongong in December 1993. NSW Police Southern Region commander Assistant Commissioner Joe Cassar and Wollongong Police District commander Superintendent Karen Cook police will address the media on the arrest on Thursday. It follows an earlier breakthrough in December last year when the taskforce discovered items of clothing in bushland in the Illawarra region related to the case. Searches in 2023 and 2024 in the area of Figtree near Wollongong turned up a cream button-down long sleeve blouse with a coloured stitching design and black pants. Mr Cassar, speaking in December, said the discoveries could prove crucial in determining Ms Sowry's final movements. 'We are releasing these images to try to jog someone's memory. The clothing includes some hand stitching in coloured cotton and we know Pauline was known for altering both her and her children's clothing, ' he said. 'We are not ruling out further searches as we continue to investigate the circumstances of Pauline's disappearance. 'Pauline's family deserve to know what happened to her and to get some closure following her disappearance.' In a statement from December, Ms Sowry's son Jason Lawrence said he hoped the clothes could lead to a breakthrough in the investigation. 'We don't want to spend another Christmas not knowing what happened to mum. We deserve to know what happened to her and to give her a proper send-off and lay her to rest,' he said. 'It's been 30 years since my mother's disappearance, she's been sadly missed and this has been a devastating effect on our family, including the loss of her two sons, my brothers Paul and Adam, to mental health and her parents, Bill and Pat, who have also passed away not knowing what's happened to their daughter.' A 2008 coronial inquest found that Ms Sowry had died, most likely after an unconfirmed sighting in 1994. In May 2024, police issued a call for information on a white 1968 Holden HK Kingswood sedan said to be in 'pristine' condition that police believed Ms Sowry may have travelled in south of Wollongong.
