After Robert Smith d!ed during a baptism ceremony in Erdington, West Midlands, a Christian pastor named Cheryl Bartley was accused of gross negligence maπslaughter.

On October 8, 2023, Smith, 61, who was said to have Parkinson’s disease, drowned in a paddling pool during the ceremony at a private residence on Slade Road.

Bartley, a 48-year-old member of Life Changing Ministries, is charged for k!lling him by being egregiously careless during the baptism. She has been officially charged and is scheduled to appear at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on May 14, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Malcolm McHaffie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said prosecutors determined there was sufficient evidence and that pursuing the case was in the public interest, following an investigation carried out in collaboration with West Midlands Police.

Emergency services were called to the scene shortly after 1:30pm on the day of the incident. Despite receiving advanced life support, Smith was pronounced d3ad at the scene.