A UK pastor has been charged with mansla¥ghter following the d+ath of 61-year-old Robert Smith, who drowned during a home baptism in Birmingham. The ceremony, held in a children’s paddling pool inside the house, was being live-streamed on the Facebook page of Cheryl Bartley’s Life Changing Ministries in October 2023 when the broadcast abruptly cut off.
Smith, who had Parkinson’s disease, was pronounced d+ad after emergency services arrived. A post-mortem later confirmed drowning as the cause of d+ath. Bartley reportedly posted a video after the incident, claiming she saw Smith “dancing with Jesus” in heaven. She is expected to appear at Birmingham magistrates’ court on May 14, facing a charge of gross negligence mansla¥ghter.
Smith, a grandfather of seven originally from Jamaica, had lived in the UK for 25 years and worked as a barber in Brixton, London. He had previously been baptised but chose to undergo the ceremony again as part of his renewed commitment to his faith.
Post a Comment