November 11, 2024
SINGAPORE – The Singaporean 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 preparedness task force were seen patrolling the 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.
It also posted an update on Facebook that Father Lee is in stable condition, and remains in hospital so that doctors can monitor him.
Police said at a press conference early on Nov 10 that 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.
Churchgoers told ST on Nov 10 that they were still in shock that an attack had occurred at their church.
Ms Rosalin Kolandasamy, 69, said she found out about the stabbing mere minutes after it happened, from a friend who was at the Nov 9 mass.
The retired administrator, who has been attending St Joseph’s Church for three decades, said Father Lee had always been keen to bring parishioners together.
For instance, he chartered a bus for 20 passengers going from the church in Bukit Timah to a recent walking event in Bishan organised by Caritas Singapore, the social service arm of the Roman Catholic Church here.
Ms Rosalin said she was not aware of any other church that did so. “He said he wanted everyone to go as a family of this church,” she added as she wished Father Lee a speedy recovery.
Software engineer Jose Nidhin, 40, said his family usually attended mass on Saturday evenings, but had not done so on Nov 9 as they had been at the church in the morning for his son’s first reconciliation, also known as confession.
“As it was a children’s mass, my son would have been in the front,” Mr Nidhin said. “To do such a thing in front of kids is pretty bad.”
The suspect will be charged in court on Nov 11 with the offence of voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a dangerous weapon, the police said.
If he is convicted, the offence, under Section 326 of Penal Code 1871, carries a punishment of life imprisonment, or imprisonment for a term that may extend to 15 years. The offender shall also be liable to caning and/or a fine.
The five weapons found in the assailant’s possession included the folding knife used in the attack. PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES
Police will also be seeking a court order to remand the man at the Institute of Mental Health for psychiatric evaluation.
The attacker, who is Sinhalese, had previously declared to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority that he is a Christian, said the police.
There is currently no evidence to suggest that this is a religiously motivated attack, the police added.
The National Council of Churches of Singapore (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.
“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.