Martina and Ammi Burke have been released from prison after their imprisonment for contempt of court.
The mother and sister of Enoch Burke were released from the Dóchas Centre prison in Dublin on Monday morning, having served their two-week sentence for civil contempt.
In the High Court on March 4th, Judge Brian Cregan found Martina and Ammi Burke were guilty of contempt “in the face of the court” over their behaviour.
He described “roaring and shouting” and “intense and venomous” interruptions that led to the suspension of a February 20th hearing.
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This was a “paradigmatic” case of contempt, he said. It was clear Enoch Burke and other members of his family, including his mother and his sister Ammi, believed they were above the law but they were “definitely” not, the judge said.
Cregan said it was “long past time to call a halt to this family circus”.
The women were arrested as they attempted to visit Enoch Burke at Castlerea Prison, Co Roscommon, at the end of March.
The pair were detained, and were committed to prison for a two-week sentence, almost a month after warrants for their arrest and committal were issued by the High Court.
