Mother and Sister of Enoch Burke Arrested for Contempt

Martina Burke and her daughter Ammi Burke, mother and sister of jailed teacher Enoch Burke, were arrested Tuesday afternoon at Castlerea Prison in County Roscommon, Ireland, on a High Court order for contempt of court. The women, who face two weeks in prison each, were detained as they left the facility after visiting Enoch, who has been incarcerated there amid his prolonged legal battle with his former employer.

An Garda Síochána executed the warrant following alerts from prison staff. Officials confirmed the arrests in a statement, noting the women would be transferred to the Dóchas Centre at the Mountjoy Prison complex in Dublin. The order stemmed from a March 4 ruling by High Court Justice Brian Cregan, who found the pair in contempt after their disruptive behavior during a February 20 hearing related to Enoch's case. The session descended into chaos as Martina and Ammi repeatedly interrupted proceedings by shouting, requiring eight to ten gardaí to remove them physically. Justice Cregan described their actions as a "gross interference with the administration of justice" and stated it was "long past time for the court to call a halt to this family circus."