Enoch Burke is still being paid his teaching salary - despite not having taught a single class in three years. 

In 2022, the German teacher was suspended from his position at Wilson’s Hospital School in County Westmeath following an angry confrontation with the principal over a transgender pupil’s decision to change their name and use they/them pronouns. 

However, nothing has deterred Mr Burke from continuing to turn up at the school - to the dismay of both staff and the legal system. 

Neither heavy fines nor multiple spells in jail have dimmed his determination to attend Wilson’s Hospital School. 

Earlier this week in the High Court, Mr Justice Brian Cregan directed in a lengthy ruling that Mr Burke once again be returned to prison, lambasting his behaviour as “grotesque” and describing him a “baleful and malign presence” at the school. 

On The Pat Kenny Show, Irish Independent Legal Affairs Editor Shane Phelan said the case remains unusual in so many respects. 

“I’ve never seen litigants in any other case behave in a courtroom the way members of the Burke family have,” he said. 

“In terms of verbal abuse thrown at judges, accusing judges of being liars, of not being fit to sit in the chair. 

“Interuptions; I’ve seen Gardaí storming courtrooms, benches nearly being toppled over to remove the family. Extraordinary scenes.” 

Enoch Burke. Picture by: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie. 

In his ruling, the judge said that the only way to prevent Mr Burke turning up at the school was to return his to prison and directed that he be arrested and remanded in custody once again. 

“He gave orders for the diversion of Enoch Burke’s salary to the court service in part to pay those fines,” Mr Phelan added.  

“I think in the region of about €25,000 has been paid in that way so far. 

“He had €40,000 in his bank account, that money was drained out of the account and has gone towards the fines. 

“Isn’t it extraordinary that he is still on the payroll, three years on from all of this?

“There’s an appeals process that he’s engaged in; an appeals hearing is due to take place. 

“It’s been delayed a long, long time now. He took a legal challenge to the appeals board - which he was successful in. 

“An appeals hearing was meant to take place this month but he indicated that he was going to engage in a further process with the Court of Appeal. 

“We hear that he’s also objecting to the composition of the new appeals board panel. One wonders when that will finally take place - it’s long overdue.” 

Seán Burke protests outside the Central Criminal Justice court over his son's time in jail. Picture by: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie. 

However, when Gardaí arrived at the Burke family home to arrest him, they were informed that he was not at the property. 

They did not enter the property but it is suspected that Mr Burke might be hiding there. 

“There’s a process of elimination and what other places could he be?” Mr Phelan said. 

“They’ve been ruling those out and they don’t believe that he has a network outside of his immediate family that would shelter him for a prolonged period. 

“They’re also bearing in mind that they don’t want to have a massive confrontation.” 

Mr Phelan added that enquiries are “ongoing”.

Main image: Enoch Burke. Picture by: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie