Pastor Faces Manslaughter Charge After Grandpa Drowns During Home Baptism

A UK pastor is charged with gross negligence manslaughter after a 61-year-old grandfather of seven drowned during a home baptism ceremony. According to reports, Pastor Cheryl Bartley was live-streaming the October ritual for Robert Smith, who had Parkinson’s disease and was baptised in a children’s paddling pool at her Birmingham home. The broadcast cut out suddenly, and emergency services later found Smith had drowned. West Midlands Police confirmed a post-mortem ruled the cause of death as drowning. Afterward, the pastor released a video claiming she saw Smith “dancing with Jesus” in heaven. She is due to appear in Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on May 14 and faces up to 18 years in prison if convicted. Smith, originally from Jamaica, had lived in the UK for 25 years and worked as a barber in Brixton before seeking a “born-again” baptism despite a previous ceremony.

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