Man who stabbed St Joseph’s Church priest in 2024 gets jail, caning

SINGAPORE – The man who stabbed a Catholic priest at St Joseph’s Church during a children’s mass in November 2024 was sentenced to four years, three months’ jail and nine strokes of the cane.

On Aug 21, Basnayake Keith Spencer, 38, pleaded guilty to voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a dangerous weapon and weapon possession.

His plea of guilt comes almost two years after his assault on Reverend Christopher Lee, who was 57 at the time.

Basnayake appeared in court on Aug 21 via video link wearing white, staring blankly into space as the facts were read out.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Xu Sijia said Basnayake stabbed Father Lee during evening mass on Nov 9, 2024.

Basnayake arrived at the church alone at around 5.30pm, and sat on the pew in the middle of the church hall. The court heard that around 900 people attended mass that day.

During mass, he took two pills to help him stay focused. Before communion began, he took three more pills to calm himself down after realising it was a children’s mass, said the prosecutor.

At around 6.15pm, two priests, including Father Lee, stood in front as church parishioners were ushered towards them to receive communion.

Basnayake was in the queue for the other priest, but later turned around to join the back of Father Lee’s queue.

When it was his turn, Basnayake suddenly took out a foldable knife that was 23cm long with a 10cm blade, and thrust it into Father Lee’s mouth.

Father Lee stepped back, bleeding profusely.

He quickly grabbed the rear pocket of Basnayake’s jeans to prevent him from hurting others.

Members of the congregation, including an off-duty police officer, pinned Basnayake down, restrained him and called the police. He was arrested at the scene.

Father Lee was rushed to hospital with blood pooling at his mouth, from the stab wound to the bottom of his mouth.

The attack left him with an 8cm laceration on his tongue, a 3cm cut on his upper left lip and 4cm cut on the corner of his mouth.

Basnayake was later found in possession of a 14.5cm penknife, a flip knife and a fishing gaff, which is a pole with a sharp hook.

He was denied bail in December 2024, after the prosecution described him as a highly dangerous person with a high risk of reoffending.

He has been in remand for over a year and nine months.

Father Lee was discharged from hospital on Nov 15, 2024, six days after the attack. He was given 40 days of hospitalisation leave and required speech therapy months after the incident.

Previously stabbed then-girlfriend

The court heard that Basnayake was previously convicted in 2019 for voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon and sentenced to a year in jail.

The prosecutor said he had stabbed his then-girlfriend in the buttocks with a kitchen knife while under the influence of methamphetamine.

For his current offences at St Joseph’s Church, the prosecution urged the court to sentence Basnayake to between four years and three months’ jail, and four years and 11 months’ jail, and nine strokes of the cane.

The prosecutor noted that Basnayake was intoxicated, and in a drug-induced psychotic state at the time of the offence, but said he still had a degree of awareness when he attacked the priest.

Basnayake’s defence lawyer, Ashwin Ganapathy of the Public Defender’s Office, sought a jail term of less than four years, and nine strokes of the cane.

He said: “My client is sorry for his actions. He’s regretful and ashamed of what he has done. He asks for the sentence to be proportionate.”

In sentencing Basnayake, District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan said: “The attack was wholly unprovoked and caused severe physical harm to a defenseless man, and the punishment must reflect the full gravity of his offences.”

He added that Basnayake struck the priest at the precise moment he was administering a sacred ritual, which led to a real potential for mass panic and further injuries.

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.

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