A British priest is charged with manslaughter after a man drowned during a “birth-again” baptism –

A baptism broadcast to a small group online 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 BBC reports, Robert Smith, a grandfather of seven from Brixton in south London, died on October 8, 2023 at a property on Slade Road in Erdington while taking part in a baptism conducted by Reverend Cheryl Bartley. Bartley, 48, has since been charged with gross negligence manslaughter and is scheduled to appear in Birmingham Magistrates Court on May 14.The ceremony took place in a small paddling pool set up in the title park and was broadcast live on Facebook by Life Changing Ministries, the church with which Bartley is associated.

The live stream was interrupted as the incident occurred and was later removed.

Smith, who suffered from Parkinson’s disease, was described in a Facebook post the church made after his death as a longtime member of the congregation. The post noted that he had been part of the church for four years and had traveled to Birmingham specifically for baptism. Although he had previously been baptized as a teenager, he sought a second ceremony after becoming what the church described as a “born-again believer.”

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Emergency services responded to the scene and provided advanced life support, but Smith could not be resuscitated and he was pronounced dead before he could be taken to hospital. He has been living in the UK for more than 25 years after being born in Jamaica and working 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 by West Midlands Police.

“We have decided to prosecute Cheryl Bartley, 48, for manslaughter by gross negligence in relation to her role as a priest during the baptism,” said Malcolm McHaffey, head of the CPS Special Crimes Division.He added: “This follows the death of 61-year-old Robert Smith from Brixton in south London, who died by drowning at an address in Slade Road, Erdington on October 8, 2023.”“Our prosecutors have worked to demonstrate that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.”

McHaffey also stressed the legal sensitivities surrounding the case, saying: “We remind everyone involved that criminal proceedings against this defendant are active and that she has the right to a fair trial. It is imperative that there be no reporting, comments or sharing of information online that could prejudice these proceedings in any way.”The circumstances of how the drowning occurred during the baptism were not detailed in court, and the case will now continue through the judicial process.