SINGAPORE, Nov 10 — The man who was arrested for allegedly stabbing a Roman Catholic priest in the St Joseph’s Church here has reportedly been identified as one Basnayake Keith Spencer.
The Straits Times (ST) reported that the suspect was convicted and jailed in 2019 after pleading guilty of causing hurt by stabbing his former girlfriend while on drugs.
ST also reported that the 37-year-old man was not a regular at the Bukit Timah church, although some parishioners said he had been sighted there before.
Singapore’s CNA previously reported that Father Christopher Lee is in a stable condition after the surgery to close his wounds went well.
Lee, a parish priest at St Joseph’s Church, was attacked by a knife-wielding man while celebrating the 5.30 pm mass yesterday.
The suspect, a 37-year-old Singaporean Sinhalese man with a history of serious hurt and drug-related offences, was disarmed by members of the congregation and subsequently arrested by police officers.
Based on preliminary investigations, police believe the suspect acted alone and that the attack is not an act of terrorism.
Singapore’s Inter-Religious Organisation has since condemned the incident, while Prime Minister Lawrence Wong called for calm.
