Quarry owner paid €10k deposit for loan he never received, trial hears

A quarry owner from Limerick told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that he paid a £10,000 deposit to secure a €4 million loan that never materialised. The man said he was contacted by someone using the name "Simon Magnier" after seeking financial assistance during the economic recession. He stated that following the deposit payment, the promised funds did not arrive and contact with the person became difficult to maintain. The trial concerns Simon Gold, aged 54, of Aughavas, County Leitrim, who has pleaded not guilty to 22 charges including money laundering, theft, deception and control of false instruments alleged to have occurred between January 2010 and October 2012. Evidence has established that the accused used multiple aliases including Simon Gould, Simon Magnier and Niall O'Donoghue, and operated an Ulster Bank account in the name Anglo Irish Global Ltd. The trial before Judge Nolan and jury continues.