Retired teacher, 78, died of a massive stroke after teenage thugs set fire to her car Gillian Dudley-Smith died after Ford Fiesta was set ablaze on her driveway Two boys aged 14 and 15 were arrested in connection with the arson attack But they were later released without charge and crime has gone unpunished By Liz Hull Victim of thugs: Grandmother of five Gillian Dudley-Smith A retired teacher collapsed and died of a stroke after teenage thugs set fire to her car in the middle of the night, an inquest heard. Gillian Dudley-Smith, 78, a talented botanical artist, dialled 999 after a passing taxi driver alerted her to the Ford Fiesta ablaze on her driveway. As she stood helplessly watching the car go up in flames from her window, the grandmother of five suffered a massive stroke. She died a few hours later in hospital. An inquest was told two boys aged 14 and 15 were arrested in connection with the arson attack outside the £250,000 North Wales home that Mrs Dudley-Smith shared with her husband of 50 years, Eric. But they were later released without charge and no-one has ever been brought to justice for the crime. Coroner John Gittins said the stress of the blaze led to Mrs Dudley-Smith's stroke. "Whoever set fire to the car on that night has played a part in her death," he said. The inquest heard there had been a spate of cars being set on fire in the Caia Park area of Wrexham where the couple lived. Mr Dudley-Smith, 81, usually parked his wife's car in the garage overnight. But he had recently had back surgery and decided to leave it in the driveway on the evening of November 13 last year. Shortly before 4am Mrs Dudley-Smith, a regular churchgoer, was woken by a taxi driver who knocked on the front door to say the car was ablaze. She dialled 999 and stood watching the fire from their window. Mr Dudley-Smith said: "She sat down on the chair and suddenly, without warning, seemed to subside and slipped down the chair onto the floor." He told the court that a few days earlier his wife, who suffered from high blood pressure, had been upset after their garage and car were broken into. Police officer Michelle Robertson, who attended the scene, said the mother of two was showing symptoms of a stroke. Mrs Dudley-Smith was taken to Wrexham Maelor hospital, where she died a few hours later. A post-mortem examination confirmed the stroke caused her death. Two youths seen running from the scene were arrested but told police they were in bed at the time. "Following an extensive investigation a decision was made that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute," said Mr Gittins, coroner for North East Wales. Returning a narrative verdict, he added: "It is probable that the stress of the event led to the development of this condition and hence to her death. This is a very tragic case. Mrs Dudley-Smith was an acclaimed botanical artist at Ness Botanic Gardens in Wirral, and had exhibited her work across the country. Her husband described her as a "truly wonderful wife and mother." Last night neighbours condemned the behaviour of the yobs who set fire to her car. Louise Ban, 49, who runs her own cleaning firm, said: "This was a horrible incident and an indictment of our society today."