Mum or partner killed little girl

A four-year-old girl died after being assaulted by her mother or her drug dealer boyfriend following months of cruelty, a family court judge has ruled.

Poppy Widdison was either shaken or suffered a blow to the head in the assault by either Michala Pyke or John Rytting, Judge Clive Heaton QC said at the hearing held at Hull Crown Court.

Judge Heaton said either Pyke or Rytting was responsible for the girl’s death but could not rule which of them carried out the fatal assault as they refused to tell the truth.

Pyke, 38, and Rytting, 40, were each jailed for 13 years on Thursday for drugs offences and child cruelty after being found guilty of feeding sedatives to Poppy because they viewed her as an inconvenience to their relationship.

On Friday, Judge Heaton said one of the pair assaulted Poppy in Rytting's flat in Grimsby on the morning of June 9, 2013.

The assault, described in court as a “shaking or shaking impact type event”, resulted in Poppy suffering respiratory arrest and then cardiac arrest.

Judge Heaton added: “I unhesitatingly conclude that both know far more about how Poppy lost her life than either of them are prepared to say.” Former Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs and his estranged wife Stacey are embroiled in a High Court fight over money.

A judge considered preliminary issues in the dispute at a private hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London yesterday.

Mr Justice Cobb said another hearing was scheduled for the near future.

Neither Giggs nor Mrs Giggs were in court.

Giggs was represented by barristers but lawyers representing Mrs Giggs were not at the hearing.

The judge said journalists could report the pair were involved in a dispute. But he said detail of personal or financial information aired in the litigation could not be revealed.

Poppy Widdison