Pastor charged after man drowned during baptism

Pastor charged after man drowned during baptism

On 8 October 2023, a man died following a drowning incident during a baptism in Birmingham. Robert Smith, 61, from Brixton, London, was found deceased at a property on Slade Road, Erdington. Cheryl Bartley, 48, of Erdington, has been formally accused of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with her duties as a pastor during the ceremony.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced that Bartley will stand trial at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 14 May. Investigators from West Midlands Police collaborated closely with the CPS to assess the circumstances surrounding the event. Malcolm McHaffie, leading the CPS’s special crime division, highlighted the importance of the ongoing legal process.

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

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