Former schoolteacher Enoch Burke attended Wilson’s Hospital School, near Multyfarnham, Co Westmeath this morning despite a court ordering him to stay away from the school.
Burke, who has spent almost two years in prison for failing to comply with a court order to stay away from the school, was released by the High Court before Christmas.
He is separately appealing his dismissal from the teaching staff at the school. He has spent more than 500 days in jail since September 2022 over breaches of the High Court order.
On December 20th last Burke was warned by Mr Justice David Nolan of the High Court that should he return to the school he would face ongoing fines of €1,400 per day, double the original fine imposed on him.
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Mr Justice Nolan also directed that representatives of the Department of Finance and the Attorney General should attend court this month to explain what mechanism can be put in place to collect some €193,000 in fines owed by Burke since first breaching the order to stay away from the school.
The cost of keeping him in prison was an additional €80,000 per year, the High Court heard.
Shortly after 9am on Monday morning as students were welcomed back after the Christmas break, Burke who is still being paid his teacher’s salary, was present outside the school.
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