Singapore jails church attacker 4 years, 3 months and 9 strokes
Why it matters: The priest was stabbed during a children’s Mass attended by about 900 people, intensifying the public-safety impact.
A Singapore court sentenced Basnayake Keith Spencer to four years and three months in jail and nine strokes of the cane for stabbing a Catholic priest during communion at St Joseph’s Church in November 2024. Prosecutors said Basnayake, 38, joined the queue for Reverend Father Christopher Lee Kwong Heng during a children’s Mass in Upper Bukit Timah, then drove a foldable knife into the priest’s mouth. Lee suffered cuts to his tongue, lip and mouth, underwent surgery and later needed speech therapy. Congregants, including an off-duty police officer, restrained Basnayake at the scene. The court also heard he had multiple weapons with him and had taken five nitrazepam tablets before the attack.