A baptism being streamed to a small online congregation ended in a death that is now the subject of a criminal case, after a 61-year-old man drowned during the ceremony in Birmingham.Grandfather-of-seven Robert Smith, from Brixton, south London, died at a property on Slade Road in Erdington on October 8, 2023, while attending a baptism conducted by pastor Cheryl Bartley, the BBC reports. Bartley, 48, has been charged with manslaughter by gross negligence and is due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on May 14.The ceremony took place in a small paddling pool set up in the address’s garden and was being broadcast live on Facebook by Life Changing Ministries, the church with which Bartley is affiliated. The livestream was cut short as the incident unfolded and later deleted.
Life Changing Ministries, led by Pastor Cheryl Bartley, live-streamed the baptism and hosted the ceremony Robert Smith/ Image: Facebook
Smith, who suffered from Parkinson’s disease, was described as a longtime member of the congregation in a Facebook post shared by the church after his death. The post indicated that he had been part of the church for four years and had traveled to Birmingham specifically for the baptism. Although he had previously been baptized as a teenager, he sought a second ceremony after being described by the church as a “born-again believer”.
Robert Smith, a 61-year-old grandfather of seven from Brixton, suffered from Parkinson’s disease and worked as a barber/ Image: Facebook
Emergency services responded to the scene and administered advanced life support, but Smith could not be revived and was pronounced dead before he could be taken to hospital. After being born in Jamaica, he had been living in Britain for more than 25 years and worked as a barber. At the time of his death, he was preparing to welcome his eighth grandson.The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed charges against Bartley following an investigation by West Midlands Police. Malcolm McHaffie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said: “We have decided to prosecute Cheryl Bartley, 48, with manslaughter by gross negligence in relation to her role as a priest during a baptism.”They added: “This follows the death of Robert Smith, 61, of Brixton, south London, who died by drowning in Slade Road, Erdington on 8 October 2023.”“Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is enough evidence to bring this case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.”
Cheryl Bartley is due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on May 14 charged with manslaughter/Image: Facebook
McHaffie also stressed the legal sensitivities associated with the case, saying: “We remind all relevant parties that criminal proceedings against this defendant are active and he has a right to a fair trial. It is important that no reporting, comment or information be shared online that could in any way adversely affect these proceedings.”The circumstances of how the drowning occurred during the baptism have not been described in court, and the case will now proceed through the judicial process