A mother admitted that she gave her young daughter sedatives in order to be able to take heroin and have sex with her boyfriend, according to police in the United Kingdom.
Now, 40-year-old John Pyke and 37-year-old Michala Rytting from Grimsby, have both been jailed for 13 years following the death of Pyke’s daughter, 4-year-old Poppy Widdison.
CPS Senior District Crown Prosecutor Catherine Ainsworth said: “This was an absolutely tragic case. Poppy died while in the care of those whose prime responsibility was to love, nurture and care for her.
“Instead, she was physically assaulted and routinely exposed to an environment where powerful illegal drugs were easily available and within reach.
“As part of our case, we were able to prove to the jury’s satisfaction, through recovered text messages between Pyke and Rytting, that Poppy was sedated with illegal drugs.
“Our experts were also able to demonstrate through laboratory analysis of Poppy’s hair that she had been exposed to a variety of illegal drugs over a lengthy period.
“It would appear that this poor little girl got in the way of the main priorities in her caregivers’ lives, their relationship with each other and a life of recreational drug use and drug dealing.
“We hope the substantial sentences handed down today are of some comfort to the rest of Poppy’s family, and our thoughts remain with them.”
The two have been found guilty of child cruelty and drug trafficking.
According to the police interrogation, Poppy went into sudden cardiac arrest after ingesting drugs including diazepam, heroin, methadone and ketamine.
She was exposed to these drugs for up to six months before her death. Rytting admitted to giving her daughter sedatives so that she could have sex with her boyfriend and take heroin.
Pyke is accused of taking Poppy to a friend’s home, where a group of men consumed multiple illegal drugs while the girl was sitting in the living room.