Enoch Burke’s fines rise to €8,400 as he turns up at school again today

Mr Burke was driven into the grounds of the Wilson’s Hospital School in Multyfarnham, in Co Westmeath, from which he was sacked nearly three weeks ago, just after 8.40am.

In doing so he continues to defy a High Court order to stay away from the school.

Last August the school requested that teachers address a trans student by their preferred name and pronouns.

Mr Burke refused to do so on religious grounds, saying transgenderism goes against his beliefs.

He was then suspended from the school but kept turning up for work on a daily basis.

The school took a High Court action against him and he was ordered by a judge to stay away from the school but still continued to turn up.

Mr Burke was then told he was in contempt of court and imprisoned until he would purge that contempt and stay away from the school.

He spent 108 days in Mountjoy prison as a result before the judge freed him just before Christmas, saying that Burke was exploiting his incarceration.

It was hoped Mr Burke would stay away from the school after the Christmas school holidays but he started turning up again when the school opened again last month.

A disciplinary process had been put in train by the school in relation to Mr Burke’s alleged attitude towards the then principal, and at a disciplinary hearing was held on January 19.

Mr Burke had objected to this meeting and tried to seek an injunction to stop it being held.

The High Court said while he had grounds to bring such an injunction his refusal to comply with a court order requiring him to stay away from the school until the proceedings were determined tipped the balance of justice in favour of not granting the injunction.

A decision was made to dismiss Mr Burke, but he continued showing up at the school, but instead of being let into a corridor he was refused entry to the school.

On January 24, the first school day after his sacking, Mr Burke was arrested at the school for alleged trespass.

He was released while a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions, and immediately went back to the school.

A judge then ruled that if Mr Burke continued on his course of action he would be fined €700 a day until he stopped turning up at the school.

But Burke has continued to turn up, and arrived at the school again today after the Bank Holiday.

This brings his current fines to €8,400 and if he continues to arrive at the school his fines will climb to over €10,000 this week.