SINGAPORE, March 17 — The man accused of stabbing a priest at St Joseph’s Church has been handed three additional charges for carrying weapons in public without a lawful purpose.
Channel News Asia (CNA) reported today that Basnayake Keith Spencer, 37, now faces a total of four charges, after being initially charged with voluntarily causing grievous hurt.
He is accused of stabbing Father Christopher Lee Kwong Heng in the mouth with a foldable knife at the church in Upper Bukit Timah on November 9 last year.
Court documents reveal that Basnayake allegedly had three other weapons with him at the time of the attack: a flip knife, a 14.5cm pen knife, and a fishing gaff — a pole with a sharp hook or spike at the end.
He has been in remand since his initial charge on November 11 last year and was previously denied bail due to public safety concerns.
CNA reported that his next court appearance is set for April 14 for a pre-trial conference.
Father Lee suffered multiple injuries, including an 8cm laceration on his tongue, a 3cm cut on his upper lip, and a 4cm wound at the corner of his mouth. He underwent surgery and was discharged six days later.
Under Singapore law, carrying weapons in public without a lawful purpose is a non-bailable offence and carries a jail term of up to three years along with at least six strokes of the cane.
If convicted of voluntarily causing grievous hurt, Basnayake could face life imprisonment or up to 15 years in jail, along with a fine and caning.
