SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): A man accused of stabbing a priest at St Joseph’s Church in November 2024 was given additional charges on Monday (March 17).
Basnayake Keith Spencer, 37, now faces three counts of being in possession of a weapon on the day of the attack, on Nov 9, 2024, on top of one charge handed earlier after he allegedly used a knife to voluntarily cause grievous hurt.
He allegedly had a 14.5cm penknife, a flip knife and a fishing gaff, which is a pole with a sharp hook, at the place of worship.
The Singaporean was not offered bail on March 17 and his pretrial conference will take place on April 14.
Basnayake had allegedly approached Reverend Christopher Lee, then 57, at the Upper Bukit Timah Road church shortly before 6.30pm on Nov 9.
Father Lee was conducting communion when Basnayake allegedly stabbed him, leaving him with an 8cm laceration on his tongue, a 3cm cut on his upper left lip and a 4cm cut on the corner of his mouth.
Members of the congregation disarmed Basnayake before police officers arrived at the scene to arrest him.
A video circulating online following the attack shows a slim man in a bloodied white T-shirt being led away from the church with his hands held behind his back.
In an earlier statement, the police said they did not suspect the incident to be an act of terrorism, and added that there was no evidence to suggest it was a religiously motivated attack.
Father Lee was discharged from hospital on Nov 15, 2024.
The police took a heavily shackled Basnayake back to the church the following month. He was observed showing the officers the places he had gone to on the day of the attack, before they escorted him back to a police vehicle.
For voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a weapon, an offender can be sentenced to life imprisonment, or face up to 15 years’ jail, fined and caned.
For each count of being in possession of a weapon, an offender can be jailed for up to three years and receive at least six strokes of the cane. - The Straits Times/ANN
