A pastor in the United Kingdom has been charged with manslaughter following the death of a 61-year-old grandfather during a home baptism.
Cheryl Bartley, 48, was conducting and live-streaming the ceremony in October 2023 for Robert Smith on the Facebook page of her church, Life Changing Ministries.
The incident occurred at a residence in Birmingham, where Smith, who had Parkinson’s disease, was being baptised in a children’s paddling pool.
The live stream was abruptly cut off during the ceremony as the situation unfolded.
Emergency responders were later called to the scene, but Smith was confirmed dead. A post-mortem examination established that he died from drowning, according to West Midlands Police.
Following the incident, the pastor reportedly recorded a video in which she spoke about the death.
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“She saw him in heaven, “dancing with Jesus.”
Bartley has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter and is expected to appear before a magistrates’ court in Birmingham on May 14.
Smith, originally from Jamaica, had lived in the UK for 25 years and worked as a barber in Brixton, London.
Reports indicate that although he had previously been baptised, he sought the ceremony as part of his commitment as a born-again believer.
(New York Post)