Man who stabbed priest in St Joseph's Church previously jailed for stabbing ex-girlfriend
A police crime scene vehicle arriving at St Joseph’s Church on Nov 9.
PHOTO: The Straits Times
PUBLISHED ONNovember 10, 2024 4:00 AMBySamuel Devaraj
SINGAPORE - The Singaporean Sinhalese man arrested for stabbing a priest at a church in Bukit Timah on Nov 9 has been identified as Basnayake Keith Spencer.
Basnayake, 37, had previously been seen at St Joseph's Church in Upper Bukit Timah, but was not a regular, parishioners told The Straits Times.
A video circulating online following the attack on 57-year-old Reverend Christopher Lee on Nov 9 showed a lean, bald man in a bloodied white T-shirt being led away from the church with his hands behind his back.
ST found out that the man in the video is Basnayake. He was convicted and jailed in 2019 for causing hurt with a dangerous weapon, having pleaded guilty to stabbing his former girlfriend at a party while he was on drugs.
Ahead of morning mass on Nov 10, at least three members of the church's parish emergency task force were seen patrolling the church's premises. They conducted bag checks on some churchgoers.
At the mass, parishioners were updated about Father Lee's condition. The church said the parish priest's surgery went well, and that he is resting.
The church also posted an update on Facebook that Father Lee is in stable condition, and remains warded in hospital so that doctors can monitor him.
Police said at a press conference early on Nov 10 that a total of five weapons had been found in the assailant's possession, including the folding knife used in the attack. The attack took place during the church's monthly children's mass, while Holy Communion was being given out.
The suspect will be charged in court on Nov 11 with the offence of voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapon, the police added.
If convicted, the offence, under Section 326 of Penal Code 1871, carries a punishment of life imprisonment, or imprisonment for a term which may extend to 15 years. The offender shall also be liable to caning and/or a fine.
Police will also be seeking a Court order to remand the man at the Institute of Mental Health for psychiatric evaluation.
The attacker had previously declared to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) that he is a Christian.
There is currently no evidence to suggest that this is a religiously-motivated attack, the police said.
The National Council of Churches (NCCS) said it strongly condemned the attack, and that it was grateful that the Archdiocesan Emergency Response team and congregation members were able to intervene and restrain the assailant.
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"We pray for the perpetrator even though we do not know the reasons behind his actions at this point," said NCCS President Bishop Lu Guan Hoe in a Nov 9 letter to Archbishop William Goh, who heads the Roman Catholic Church in Singapore.
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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.