Man who stabbed St Joseph’s Church priest in 2024 gets over four years’ jail, nine strokes of cane
Basnayake Keith Spencer was previously convicted in 2019 for stabbing his then-girlfriend in the buttocks.
In November 2024, Basnayake Keith Spencer, 38, pleaded guilty to stabbing Reverend Christopher Lee during a children's mass at St Joseph's Church. Spencer arrived alone at the church around 5:30 PM and sat in the middle of the hall. After consuming pills, he joined Father Lee's queue for communion and stabbed him with a 23cm foldable knife, causing severe injuries.
The congregation, including an off-duty police officer, restrained Spencer and called the police. Father Lee suffered multiple lacerations and was hospitalized for six days. Spencer was denied bail due to his dangerous nature and high reoffending risk. The judge sentenced him to four years, three months in jail and nine strokes of the cane, noting the unprovoked nature of the attack during a sacred ritual.
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