John Rytting, Jailed for Child Cruelty, Dies in HMP Hull at 49

John Rytting, 49, who was imprisoned for child cruelty and supplying drugs that contributed to the death of Poppy Widdison, has died in custody. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) confirmed Rytting's death at HMP Hull on 22 April.

Rytting was jailed in 2017 after four-year-old Poppy Widdison collapsed at her Grimsby home in June 2013, later dying from a cardiac arrest. Poppy's mother, Michala Pyke, also received a custodial sentence for the same offences. Both denied administering drugs to the child.

A trial at Hull Crown Court in 2017 heard that Rytting and Pyke encouraged Poppy to consume sedatives, viewing her as an impediment to their relationship. A post-mortem examination revealed Poppy had ingested heroin, methadone, and ketamine over a period of up to six months before her death. While these substances did not directly cause her death, experts detailed a "long period of ill-treatment and neglect by the grossly inappropriate administration of various drugs to the child."

The PPO is investigating Rytting's death, a standard procedure for all deaths in custody. Findings will be published following an inquest into his death. A serious case review into Poppy Widdison's death previously highlighted that agencies missed multiple opportunities to safeguard her from harm.