SINGAPORE: The suspect in the stabbing of a priest at St Joseph’s Church was on Monday (Mar 17) given three fresh charges of carrying weapons in public without a lawful purpose.
Basnayake Keith Spencer, 37, now faces a total of four charges.
He was previously charged with voluntarily causing grievous hurt by using a foldable knife to stab Father Christopher Lee Kwong Heng in the mouth at about 6.30pm on Nov 9, 2024 at the church in Upper Bukit Timah.
In the latest charges, Basnayake is accused of having three weapons at the church on the same occasion. These were a flip knife, a pen knife measuring 14.5cm and a fishing gaff – a pole with a sharp hook or spike at the end.
Basnayake will return to court for a pre-trial conference on Apr 14. He has been in remand since he was charged on Nov 11 last year, and was previously denied bail out of concerns for public safety.
According to charge sheets, Father Lee suffered an 8cm-long laceration on his tongue, a 3cm cut on his upper lip and a 4cm cut on the corner of his mouth.
The parish priest received surgery to close his wounds and was discharged six days after the incident.
Carrying weapons in public places without a lawful purpose is a non-bailable offence, punishable with up to three years in jail and at least six strokes of the cane.
If found guilty of voluntarily causing grievous hurt, Basnayake can be sentenced to life imprisonment or up to 15 years’ jail, a fine and caning.
