A woman has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter after the death of a man during a baptism ceremony in Birmingham.
Robert Smith, 61, from Brixton, London, died during the ceremony which took place at a home in Slade Road, Erdington, on October 8 2023.
Cheryl Bartley, 48, from Sutton Coldfield, has been charged with one count of gross negligence manslaughter in relation to her role as a pastor during the baptism, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.
Bartley will appear at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on May 14.
The ceremony, carried out by Life Changing Ministries, was carried out in a paddling pool in the property’s back garden.
It was filmed and livestreamed on the church’s Facebook page, with a congregation of about a dozen people looking on, but the stream was cut during the event and the video later removed.
Emergency services were called to the home, and West Midlands ambulance service sent two vehicles, a paramedic officer, and a critical care car from Midlands air ambulance, but Smith was pronounced dead at the scene.
Smith, who was originally from Jamaica, had reportedly travelled to Birmingham to be baptised having been a member of the church for four years. He worked as a barber, and was a grandfather to seven grandchildren at the time he died.
Malcolm McHaffie, head of the CPS's special crime division, said they had worked closely with West Midlands Police as it carried out an investigation, and that prosecutors had "sufficient evidence to bring this case to court".
McHaffie added: “We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against this defendant are active and that she has the right to a fair trial.
“It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
