Man found with folding knife at St Joseph's Church forgot to put it away after job: Police

SINGAPORE - A man is assisting with police investigations after he was found with a folding knife in his pocket at St Joseph's Church in Bukit Timah, where a priest was stabbed in November.

Police said in a statement on Dec 1 that the 36-year-old man, who is a regular at the church and is believed to be a handyman, purportedly forgot to put away the folding knife with his other tools after an earlier job.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore said in a statement on the same day that it alerted the police after the 11.30am mass on Dec 1, after a church security volunteer checked the man and found the knife on him.

The man was found to be compliant and "readily gave up" the folding knife to the police when they arrived, it added.

On Nov 9, a priest at the church was attacked by a knife-wielding man while he was conducting evening mass. The assailant was disarmed by members of the congregation and subsequently arrested by police officers.

The alleged attacker - identified as Basnayake Keith Spencer, 37 - was charged on Nov 11 with one count of voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a dangerous weapon.

His case will be heard again in court on Dec 2.

The injured priest - the Reverend Christopher Lee - had an 8cm laceration on his tongue, a 3cm cut on his upper left lip, and a 4cm cut on the corner of his mouth. He was discharged on Nov 15, six days after he was attacked, and is now on medical leave.

Since the Nov 9 attack, all churches in the archdiocese have been encouraged to be proactive and step up their security measures, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore said, adding that parishioners were also encouraged to be vigilant.

The Straits Times has observed random bag checks conducted at the church on attendees after the attack.

In a newsletter distributed to St Joseph's Church parishioners on Dec 1, the church said it is strengthening its security and safety measures, especially for the upcoming Advent, Christmas and New Year periods.

Volunteers from the parish emergency preparedness task force will attend every mass, said the newsletter.

Churchgoers were also encouraged to report any suspicious behaviour or unattended items to volunteers immediately, and were advised against leaving any small or large bags in the lobby.

A parishioner, who has been attending mass weekly at the church since 2011, said she hoped that people would not jump to conclusions on the man involved in the Dec 1 incident.

While the 49-year-old was in mass on the morning of Dec 1, she noticed three security volunteers near where she sat at the front row.

"I prayed for them as they are also putting themselves on the line for churchgoers," said the woman, who declined to be named.

"But this is also sad, as people might feel they would be checked before coming into the church, where it used to be a place where anyone can walk in at any time.

"Now, new measures would, in a small way, hinder that from happening."

Another regular at St Joseph's Church, who wanted to be known only as Madam Theresa, said the heightened security at the church has brought "both good and bad".

"I don't feel scared in church," she said. "But the security measures might be troublesome for some churchgoers, and it's also more work for volunteers."

"Everyone should be responsible for themselves, and not carry anything dangerous that can cause harm."

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.