A home baptism that was meant to be a moment of spiritual celebration ended in tragedy when 61-year-old Robert Smith drowned during the ceremony, prompting manslaughter charges against the pastor who led it.
Cheryl Bartley now faces a charge of gross negligence manslaughter over the death of Smith, who passed away in October 2023. According to authorities, the baptism took place in a children’s paddling pool at a private residence in Birmingham and was being streamed live on Facebook for viewers to follow in real time.
Smith, who lived with Parkinson’s disease, collapsed during the ceremony. The live stream captured the sudden chaos as the ritual came to an abrupt halt. Emergency services rushed to the scene, but Smith was later pronounced dead from drowning.
The case has sent shockwaves through both the local Christian community and wider public, raising fresh questions about the safety of conducting religious rites in makeshift home settings — especially for people with serious health conditions.
Bartley is expected to appear in court in May 2026 to answer the charge. Adding to the pain and controversy surrounding the incident, reports allege that the pastor later claimed she had seen Smith “dancing with Jesus” in heaven.
Friends and family of the deceased have remained largely silent in public, but the details of the case have sparked intense debate online about accountability, faith, and the duty of care during such ceremonies.
This is not the first time a baptism or religious gathering has come under scrutiny in the UK, but the combination of a vulnerable adult, an improvised pool, and a live social media broadcast has made this case particularly distressing.
ReportNaija will continue to follow developments as the case heads to court. Our thoughts remain with the family of Robert Smith at this difficult time.