A High Court judge has sent teacher Enoch Burke back to Mountjoy Prison, where he has spent more than 300 days, over his failure to comply with an order to stay away from Wilson’s Hospital School in Co Westmeath.
During the hearing today, Mr Justice Mark Sanfey had offered to temporarily release Mr Burke from prison in the hope that the teacher would use the time the school was on holidays to reflect on his position.
However, Mr Burke refused to address the court’s proposal and accused the judge of not doing his duty by ruling in what the teacher said was a lie told to the court by a solicitor acting for the school in a sworn statement to the court.
Mr Burke, supported by members of his family, demanded that the court deal with the alleged lies over security arrangements that were put in the school, which had been reported during the week by the Irish Independent newspaper.
Alex White SC for the school said the security was put in place in relation to a matter unrelated to Mr Burke and was over a dispute with a contactor.
When Mr Justice Sanfey dismissed the teacher’s submissions on that point, Mr Burke repeatedly demanded that the court “do its duty” and “deal with the lies”.
Mr Justice Sanfey ruled that Mr Burke was not addressing the offer to be released from prison and had made “insults” against the court and other parties and was continually talking across and interrupting the judge.
When Mr Burke refused to cease, the judge directed that he be removed from the court.
When prison officers were in the process of removing the teacher from the courtroom a scuffle ensued.
Mr Burke’s brother Dr Issac Burke was also physically removed from the courtroom by gardaí.
Following Mr Burke’s removal Mr Justice Sanfey said that he had “no option” other than send Mr Burke back to prison and said that the teacher was “behaving in a way” to keep himself in prison.
