Accused in priest attack case escorted to scene at St Joseph’s Church

SINGAPORE - The man accused of

injuring a priest at a church in Bukit Timah

was back at the scene on Dec 6, taking police officers through the events that saw Reverend Christopher Lee attacked in front of his congregation.

Heavily shackled and donning the usual prison garb,

Basnayake Keith Spencer

arrived at 3pm in an unmarked police vehicle.

Flanked by four officers at all times, he showed the investigators where he sat in St Joseph’s Church during mass on Nov 9 while allegedly in possession of five weapons.

Father Lee was attacked with a folding knife during the parish’s monthly children’s mass.

The priest suffered an 8cm laceration to his tongue, a 3cm cut on his upper lip and a 4cm wound on the corner of his mouth.

He was

discharged from the National University Hospital

six days after the attack.

On Dec 6, Basnayake showed officers the route he used to enter the church hall.

The 37-year-old heavily tattooed man also took officers to the pew where he sat, located near the back of the church, during mass.

He spent about 10 minutes talking to officers there and then walked them to the front of the church, where he had stood in line as Father Lee gave communion.

Basnayake also led the officers to a small storage room where he was detained in the aftermath of the attack by members of the congregation while waiting for the police.

After 20 minutes, he was escorted back to the police vehicle.

Basnayake was charged on Nov 11 with voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a dangerous weapon.

He has been in remand since his arrest, which included three weeks for psychiatric assessment.

The next hearing for his case is on Dec 9.

Parishioners previously told The Straits Times that Basnayake, a Christian, had been seen at the church, but that he was not a regular.

If found guilty of voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a dangerous weapon, Basnayake could be sentenced to life imprisonment, or face up to 15 years’ jail, a fine and caning.