At the outset, Mr Justice Brian Cregan warned Mr Burke that he would direct gardaí to return him to Mountjoy Prison if he strayed beyond behaviour that the court deemed acceptable. She said Mr Burke was still on the payroll of the Department of Education. Ms Mallon was reading from a letter that had been sent to Mr Burke and he objected to this being read out in court. It was at this point that Mr Burke did not follow Mr Justice Cregan’s order for him to sit down and he was returned to Mountjoy Prison. The proceedings are scheduled to resume with Mr Burke attending via videolink on Friday afternoon.

Source: The Herald February 20, 2026 12:21 UTC