Pastor charged with manslaughter after man drowned during baptism ceremony

Oliver Partridge
Wed, 08 Apr 2026 18:58:22 +0000

The Crown Prosecution Service has announced charges against a Birmingham pastor following a fatal drowning at a baptism ceremony more than two years ago.

Cheryl Bartley, 48, faces one count of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the death of Robert Smith, who died during a religious ceremony at a property on Slade Road in Erdington on October 8, 2023.

Mr Smith, 61, from Brixton in south London, drowned while being baptised by Life Changing Ministries, according to the CPS statement released on Wednesday.

The pastor, who resides in Erdington, is scheduled to appear before Birmingham Magistrates' Court on May 14.

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Mr Smith had travelled from his home in south London to Birmingham specifically to take part in the baptism, having been a member of the ministry for four years.

The 61-year-old had been living with Parkinson's disease, according to information shared by the church on its Facebook page following his death.

The ceremony took place in a small pool in the garden of the private property.

Life Changing Ministries had been broadcasting the baptism live on their Facebook page, though the stream was interrupted during the event and subsequently taken down.

The church later confirmed on social media that a member had passed away.

Malcolm McHaffie, who heads the CPS's Special Crime Division, stated that prosecutors had determined sufficient evidence existed to proceed with the case and that pursuing criminal charges served the public interest.

"We have worked closely with West Midlands Police as it has carried out its investigation," he said.

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Mr McHaffie emphasised that Ms Bartley retains the right to a fair trial, with proceedings now active against her.

Paramedics from West Midlands Ambulance Service were called to the Slade Road address at approximately 1.40pm on the day of the incident.

Despite administering advanced life support measures, ambulance staff were unable to save Mr Smith, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

"Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of ambulance staff, it became clear that nothing more could be done to save him," a service spokesman said at the time.

Ms Bartley was initially detained on suspicion of manslaughter before being released on bail as the police investigation continued.

West Midlands Police confirmed that a post-mortem examination would be conducted as part of their ongoing enquiries.