A Fine Gael TD was allegedly forced to leave a supermarket on Christmas Eve as Enoch Burke’s family videoed and followed him into the store.
A video of Alan Dillon apparently being confronted by the Burke family in a supermarket in Castlebar, Co Mayo, was shared on the former teacher’s X/Twitter page.
Enoch Burke remains in Mountjoy Prison this Christmas due to his repeated refusal to purge his contempt of court.
Enoch Burke courtroom mayhem continues as family members removed by gardai again
The video shows Mr Dillon apparently being surrounded by the Burke family as he attempted to enter the supermarket on Sunday. His mother Martina Burke, one of his brothers and another woman behind a camera can be heard in the video.
“[You’re on] a six-figure salary. You cannot run away from people,” Enoch Burke’s brother is heard to say to Mr Dillon.
Mrs Burke told him: “My son is in prison because of [Judge] Máire Whelan, appointed to the Appeal Court…”
Mr Dillon can be heard saying, “Listen, guys. It is Christmas Eve.”
The Burkes responded by saying, “Yes it is Christmas Eve and Enoch Burke is in prison.”
The video shows the Burke family standing in front of Mr Dillon as he attempts to enter the supermarket. They continuously said, “You must answer questions, Alan”.
As they are shown continuing to walk alongside him, Mr Dillon turned around and left the shop. The Burke family continued to complain about the judge as they walked with him to his car.
They said: “You’re a disgrace. You’re on a salary of over €100,000. You have a duty to the people. Denying the people, denying us our constitutional rights.”
Mr Dillon got into his car and drove away.
The video is seven minutes and 39 seconds long.
The incident with Mr Dillon lasted one minute, while the remainder of the video showed the Burkes complaining about the Fine Gael TD “running away”.
The video, which quickly went viral on X, was condemned by politicians.
Paul Kehoe, Fine Gael TD for Wexford, called the Burke family “disgraceful” as he called on them to “reflect on their actions”.
He added: “These people call themselves Christians. I question it.”
Former Fine Gael TD Noel Rock said: “A dad going to Tesco at Christmas time. Hounded and harassed. Dreadful. Who’d be in politics?”
Enoch Burke was suspended on full pay from Wilson’s Hospital School in Westmeath last year for refusing a request to identify a student by a new name and they/them pronouns.
He continued to attend the school and it went to the court to obtain an order keeping him away.
He spent three-and-a-half months in prison from September 2022 as he refused to purge his contempt of court. He was released last December but continued to turn up at the school, despite a €700 daily fine. He was formally dismissed in January 2023.
Mr Burke was sent back to prison in September 2023.
He has been told multiple times he could be released if he purged his contempt and agreed to stay away from the school.