Enoch Burke to remain in prison after he told court he was not trespassing

By Bairbre Holmes, Press Association

Enoch Burke will remain in prison after refusing to obey a court order banning him from trespassing at Wilson’s Hospital School.

He appeared in front of the High Court on Tuesday morning and was given the opportunity to purge his contempt of court, which would allow him to leave prison.

The former history and German teacher has been engaged in a legal dispute with the Co Westmeath school since 2022.

He was suspended following incidents arising from a request from the school’s then-principal to address a student by a new name and pronoun, and later dismissed from his position.

Burke has repeatedly argued the direction was unconstitutional and went against his right to express his religious beliefs.

He has spent more than 650 days in prison after he was found to have violated court orders instructing him not to trespass at the school.

Burke appeared in court via video link four years to the month since the dispute first began.

He said: “I shouldn’t be in prison, I should be in my classroom, I should be with my students, I shouldn’t be here.”

Asked by Justice Brian Cregan if he would return to the school if released from prison, Burke replied: “I have faithfully attended at my workplace for eight years, that is not trespassing.”

Cregan told him: “You know perfectly well that you are in breach of a High Court order.

“It is clear, Mr Burke, you don’t want to purge your contempt.”

He said Burke could be released at prison at any stage if he committed to staying away from the school.

“The school doesn’t want you in prison, the court doesn’t want you in prison,” he said.