Enoch Burke owes 208,000 euro in fines for defying court orders
Enoch Burke still owes 208,268.18 in fines for defying court orders to refrain from trespassing at a school in Co Westmeath.
The High Court in Dublin heard that the dismissed teacher had owed a total of 273,200 euro, but had paid back 64,931.83 euro, partly through his salary from the Department of Education being redirected.
Judge Brian Cregan said Mr Burke had “wasted 700 days of his life in prison” and his reputation as a teacher had been “damaged” for refusing to obey court orders.
Mr Burke appeared before Mr Cregan via videolink, and was seen talking animatedly after the court placed his video feed on mute.
“All of this happened because of a senseless and misguided campaign to breach a court order,” Mr Justice Cregan said.
“None of this would have happened if Mr Burke had attended the school every day (as he said he had to do) but remained outside the school property and obeyed court orders. However, as Mr Burke has discovered, the rule of law applies to everybody, including Mr Burke.”
The former history and German teacher from Co Mayo was dismissed from Wilson’s Hospital School in May after a lengthy dispute with the Co Westmeath school.