Tribunal enthusiasts heard about Mr Burke's expenditure on renovating his kitchen (about £18,500), building a tennis court (£13,500) and replacing the ministerial Merc with his own car (£23,500).
"I'm a modest man," he said pleadingly on several occasions as large Visa bills and holiday payments flashed up on the screen.
Mr Burke detailed some of the obstacles in the life of a senior politician. Work on his tennis court had to stop in 1989 because of an election.
A family holiday had to be cancelled in 1992 because he had to give evidence at the beef tribunal.
And he had to deposit £6,000 in his wife's account to compensate her for providing tea and biscuits for famished supporters.
Collecting receipts for political expenses was out of the question, Mr Burke said, and he painted the awkward scenario. "You are in company, you have five or six people with you and you don't want to say to the barman `Could I have a receipt, please?' and put it in your wallet and walk away. Some people might be able to do it but not in my life."
Another awkward scenario was painted by Mr Aidan Walsh SC, for Mr Burke, when he pointed out that Mr Burke's political and personal funds were intermingled. He said it just would not be possible to "attach a sticker to each £20 note and say for definite that that £20 is therefore a personal £20 note or a political £20 note."
But Mr Burke appeared to be more upset by Mr Justice Flood's use of the word "confession" in connection with his tax amnesty declaration. "I confessed to nothing," he told the bemused judge.