A church pastor has appeared in court over the death of a man who drowned during a baptism ceremony at a house in Birmingham.
Cheryl Bartley, 48, is charged with one count of gross negligence manslaughter in relation to her role as a pastor during the baptism.
Robert Smith, from Brixton, London, died at an address on Slade Road, Erdington, on 8 October 2023, and the court heard that during the 61-year old’s baptism he was submerged in a pool and left for a total four minutes.
Bartley, of Erdington, appeared at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on Thursday where she did not enter any plea and spoke only to confirm her name and address.