Enoch Burke freed from prison as court hears six-figure sum he owes in fines
Teacher Enoch Burke has been released from prison but a judge has doubled a €700-a-day fine
Teacher Enoch Burke has been released from prison but a judge has doubled a €700-a-day fine previously imposed on him by the High Court for every day that he continues to turn up at the school where he had worked.
Mr Justice David Nolan also directed that representatives of the Department of Finance and the Attorney General should attend court in January to explain what mechanism can be put in place to collect some €193,000 in fines now owed by him since he first breached the order to stay away from Wilson's Hospital School in Co Westmeath.
Mr Burke continues to be paid his full salary as a teacher, pending the outcome of an appeal over his sacking, while also costing the State €80,000 a year to keep him in prison, the judge said. He was well into his second year in prison before his release today.
READ MORE: Father of Enoch Burke jailed for two months for assaulting Garda after rejecting suspended sentence
The judge said he was in jail "because he chooses to be in jail" over some misconceived belief that he is there because of his religious beliefs.
The judge said "nothing could be further from the truth" and he was in jail because he refuses to obey the law of the land.
During what was a review of his continued jailing for contempt, Mr Burke continuously spoke over the judge as he gave his judgment. Mr Burke complained about a remark the judge made at the outset of the hearing that he would remove anyone who interrupted proceedings and prohibited them from returning to the case.
This was in view of an interruption Mr Burke's mother, Martina, made during the October review of his contempt case.
Mr Burke, with members of his family in the court beside and behind him, continuously spoke over the judge telling him to withdraw the remark about "banning" members of the public from court.
"You know that is illegal", said Mr Burke, citing a Supreme Court judgment.
The judge finished giving his judgment, awarded the costs of the case to the school, and wished everyone a Happy Christmas before rising,
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