A HIGH COURT judge has increased fines on Enoch Burke for continuing to trespass on the grounds of his former employer and calculated that he now owes the State €225,000.

Burke appeared in court today, supported by members of his family, in the latest hearing about the teacher’s ongoing trespass at Wilson’s Hospital School in Co Westmeath.

Judge David Nolan told representatives of the school that he considered it appropriate that its board of management should retain a security company to stop Burke from trespassing on its grounds.

The judge told counsel for the school, Rosemary Mallon that he did not think the court should be used to police Burke’s repeated appearances at the school.

He said he would refuse to return Burke to prison to further make a martyr of him, which he claimed was what Burke wanted.

“I know what I would do if someone was trespassing on my property,” the judge told the school in court.

He said he would have a trespasser dealt with by taking action against them in the civil courts, seizing their assets if necessary.

The judge increased the level of fines that are to be recovered from Burke by a receiver who has already been appointed by the court.

On the basis Burke had failed to purge his contempt of court for 169 days, he estimated fines to date to have totalled €235,000.

He levelled fines at the figure of €225,000 and directed the receiver to take appropriate steps to collect that sum, and increased ongoing daily fines to €2,000 for as long as Burke continues to fail to purge his contempt.

He put the proceedings, in which the school had asked for the further imprisonment of Burke, back until mid-October on the basis that the school would produce written evidence of its intentions or otherwise with regard to the employment of a private security firm.

Counsel for Wilson’s said the school had financial difficulties with regard to the employment of a private security company and told the court she would take further instructions from the board of management and report back to the court with an affidavit of new proposals.

During the judge’s ruling on the case, members of Burke’s family attempted to shout the judge down and were removed from court by gardaí.

Last week, judge Nessa Cahill heard that Burke was back at the school and its grounds in Co Westmeath, where he is alleged to have posed for selfies with pupils.

Judge Cahill was told that the only time Burke stayed away from the school was when he was in prison and during school holidays.

Counsel for the school said Burke had turned up again at the start of the new school term.