British pastor charged with manslaughter after man drowns during his own ‘born again’ baptism

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.

According to reporting by the BBC, Robert Smith, a grandfather of seven from Brixton in south London, died on 8 October 2023 at a property on Slade Road in Erdington while taking part in a baptism conducted by pastor Cheryl Bartley. Bartley, 48, has since been charged with one count of gross negligence manslaughter and is due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 14 May.

The ceremony took place in a small paddling pool set up in the garden of the address and was being broadcast live on Facebook by Life Changing Ministries, the church Bartley is associated with. The livestream was cut as the incident unfolded and later removed.

Smith, who had been living with Parkinson’s disease, was described in a Facebook post shared by the church after his death as a long-standing member of the congregation. The post indicated he had been part of the church for four years and had travelled to Birmingham specifically for the baptism. Though he had previously been baptised as a teenager, he had sought a second ceremony after becoming what the church described as a “born again believer.”

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. He had been living in the UK for more than 25 years after being born in Jamaica and worked as a barber. At the time of his death, he was preparing to welcome his eighth grandchild.

The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed the charge against Bartley following an investigation carried out by West Midlands Police. Malcolm McHaffie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said: “We have decided to prosecute Cheryl Bartley, 48, with one count of gross negligence manslaughter in relation to her role as a pastor during a baptism.”

He added: “This follows the death of 61-year-old Robert Smith from Brixton in south London, who died from drowning at an address in Slade Road, Erdington on 8 October 2023.”

“Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.”

McHaffie also emphasised the legal sensitivities surrounding the case, stating: “We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against this defendant are active and that she has the right to a fair trial. It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

The circumstances of how the drowning occurred during the baptism have not been detailed in court, and the case will now proceed through the judicial process