Pastor charged over drowning of man at baptism ceremony in Birmingham | UK news
A woman has been charged with manslaughter after a man died during a christening in Birmingham.
Robert Smith, 61, of Brixton, south London, was strangled during a ceremony at a house in Slade Road, Erdington, in 2023. The ceremony, which included a children’s pool in the backyard, was filmed and broadcast live, watched by a crowd of about a dozen people.
Originally from Jamaica, Smith had lived in the UK for at least 25 years. He worked as a barber and was grandfather to seven grandchildren.
The Crown Prosecution Service said 48-year-old Cheryl Bartley was charged with manslaughter by gross negligence for her role as a vicar at the baptism.
Emergency services were called to the home on 8 October and the West Midlands ambulance service sent two vehicles from the Midlands air ambulance, a paramedic and an intensive care car. Medical teams could not save Smith, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Malcolm McHaffie, head of the CPS’s special crime section, said: “Our prosecutors worked to establish that there was sufficient evidence to take this case to court and that it was in the public interest for the criminal investigation to continue. “We worked closely with West Midlands police in carrying out the investigation.
“We remind all concerned that the criminal case against this defendant is active and he has the right to a fair trial. It is vital that there is no news, commentary or sharing of information online that could harm this case in any way.”
Bartley will appear at Birmingham magistrates’ court on Thursday, May 14.
