Wilson’s Hospital School has finished calling witnesses in its High Court case against Enoch Burke.

Lawyers for the school will deliver their closing speech tomorrow – unless Mr Burke decides to purge his contempt in order to re-engage with proceedings.

Enoch Burke hasn’t been inside the courtroom since he was held in contempt on Monday morning.

He was told he can come back if he agrees to obey orders of the court, but there was no sign of him again today.

It is not known whether he’s following proceedings remotely.

"Exploded"

In his absence, Wilson’s Hospital Deputy Principal John Galligan told the court that Mr Burke “exploded” at a staff meeting after the principal had sent out an email in relation to a student’s wish to transition and be referred to by a new name.

Mr Galligan said the Board of Management later decided to put him on paid administrative leave – not just for his past conduct but also because of concerns over protests taking place in front of students when the new school term began.

Mr Galligan also accused Enoch Burke and other members of his family of engaging in “argy-bargy” as members left a disciplinary hearing in January to consider Mr Burke’s future at the school.

The decision to dismiss him was made after that hearing.

Hearing

The court also heard that Freda Malone stepped into the board’s chair for that disciplinary hearing after Chairperson John Rogers couldn’t make it.

She insisted Mr Burke was invited to take part but claimed he and other members of his family just kept chanting, “where is John Rogers?”

In the end, the board felt Mr Burke’s alleged intimidation and harassment of his principal and the bringing of a private student-related matter into the public domain amounted to serious misconduct and he was subsequently dismissed.