Police investigate after Archbishop of Armagh accuses Enoch Burke of assaulting him in 'traitor' confrontation at a cathedral funeral

Enoch Burke, the evangelical Christian teacher jailed for repeatedly defying court orders to stay away from Wilson's Hospital School in Westmeath, grabbed Archbishop John McDowell's arm outside St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh on Thursday, prompting McDowell to declare "you are assaulting me" as the encounter was filmed and posted online. The PSNI has confirmed it is investigating a report of assault on a member of the clergy, with enquiries ongoing.

Burke called McDowell a "traitor and a deceiver," accusing the Archbishop of staying silent while Burke spent 700 days in a prison cell.

The original dispute began in 2022 when Burke refused to address a transgender pupil by their preferred pronouns, calling it a violation of his religious beliefs.

Burke followed McDowell from inside the cathedral grounds to the door of See House across the road, with his father Sean and a supporter filming the whole confrontation.