The High Court has ordered that teacher Enoch Burke’s salary be redirected directly to Wilson’s Hospital School – his former employer – until the €15,000 in trespass damages he owes the school is fully repaid.
Two years ago, the court awarded the school €15,000 in damages after finding that Mr Burke had trespassed on school grounds, reports RTE.
Currently, Mr Burke’s salary from the Department of Education is being paid into the Courts Service via a receiver to cover separate court-imposed fines for repeatedly breaching an injunction barring him from the school premises.
In a ruling today, Mr Justice Brian Cregan directed that these salary payments now go straight to the school until the €15,000 damages award is cleared.
According to RTE, the school also sought an interim order to seize vehicles that had been used to drive Mr Burke onto the premises in breach of the injunction. While the judge confirmed the court has jurisdiction to grant such an order, he declined to do so at this time, noting that Mr Burke is currently detained in Mountjoy Prison following his arrest earlier this week.
Addressing Mr Burke directly via video link, the judge rejected the teacher’s claim that he is being imprisoned for his religious beliefs, describing the suggestion as “nonsense”. Mr Justice Cregan emphasised that people are not jailed for their beliefs; Mr Burke is in prison solely for trespassing on private property – “no more, no less”.
The judge reiterated that Mr Burke could secure his immediate release by simply undertaking not to return to or trespass on the school grounds again. He stressed that no undertaking was required regarding the use of pronouns (“they” or “them”), nor was Mr Burke obliged to accept transgender ideology or alter his religious beliefs in any way.
RTE reports that Mr Burke participated in the hearing by video link from prison after the school successfully applied yesterday for him to be produced, either in person or remotely.
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