Frustration over lack of justice for burglary victim Hester Mottershead

After conning his way into the former headteacher's Wolverhampton home

The death of a former headteacher who suffered a stroke minutes after burglars ransacked her home has been described as an 'absolute tragedy' by a coroner who revealed his frustration that nobody had been convicted over her death.

Hester Mottershead, who was known as Stella, was 90 when four men targeted her Wolverhampton home posing as water board officials.

An inquest into Miss Mottershead's death heard how she allowed one of the men inside who pretended to inspect her taps, before three others followed and began ransacking her house, in Saxonfields, Tettenhall.

She frantically called the police while the burglars hunted for anything of value.

Officers arrived minutes later to find her slumped in a chair after suffering a stroke, by which time the raiders had fled. She died in hospital the next day.

Travellers William Connors, James Connors, Gerry Connors and Michael Cash, who were aged between 17 and 21 at the time of the attack in August 2012 and lived on static caravan sites in Warwickshire and Leicestershire, received sentences ranging from two to six years for their part in the burglary.

But nobody was ever convicted over the death of Miss Mottershead, a former headteacher at Bilston and Wolverhampton girls' high schools, after manslaughter charges brought against the men were dropped.

They were among eight defendants who admitted involvement in a string terrifying raids carried out across the Midlands on the same day.

Homes were also targeted in Compton, Merridale and Penn. Elderly residents were often the target and were threatened with cricket bats and hockey sticks which had previously been stolen during their crime spree.

Both senior coroner Zafar Siddique and the detective who led the investigation expressed their frustration that manslaughter charges were dropped.

Detective Chief Inspector Caroline Marsh, of West Midlands Police, told the hearing the Crown Prosecution Service did not believe it could be proven beyond all doubt they were responsible for her death.

But various specialists, including the pathologist who carried out Miss Mottershead's post mortem examination, all concluded the stroke was extremely likely to have been brought on as a result of the increased stress levels and blood pressure caused by the raid.

DCI Marsh said: "I believe we reached that threshold but we have to leave the decision to the CPS. It was their view and the view of counsel that the standard wasn't met.

"It was the CPS' view that with high sentences that are often given out for robbery, that was the best chance of prosecution."

But the victim's second cousin Peter Mottershead, aged 57, of Birch Grove, Alveley, near Bridgnorth, said: "I'm disgusted. They could be out soon doing it again. The sentences were minuscule, it was nothing. They will only do half their sentence if they are good."

Recording a narrative verdict, Mr Siddique said: "She was subject to a burglary on August 17, 2012 and a short time later she developed a stroke

"It has been suggested that the haemorrhage may have been a result of a sudden increase in stress brought on by the burglary and the presence of men in the house, however we cannot exclude coincidence.

"But on the balance of probabilities, and it's important to say on the balance of probabilities, I would suggest it had a significant contributing factor.

"It is an absolute tragedy that a woman who was 90, going around doing her daily tasks was subject to this burglary.

"The suspects were charged and sentenced but I do share the disappointment with the officers about the charges that weren't pursued."

Former Oxford University student Miss Mottershead was headteacher at Wolverhampton Girls' High School until she retired in 1983.

She was said to have 'lived for school' and campaigned staunchly to save Bilston Girls' High School from closure and gave generously to numerous charities. She never married or had children.

Her family were left stunned when they learned tens of thousands of pounds had been left in her will to schools, organisations and charities that had been close to her heart.

She left £50,000 to Oxford University, £20,000 to New Cross Hospital and £20,000 to Nuffield Health. Large sums were also donated to local schools, the RNLI and the Dogs' Trust.

Mr Mottershead said: "She was a firm but fair person, she did a lot of charity work and she lived for school.

"She didn't like to be alone, she liked people to go and see her.

"She was always very safety conscious, she locked her door and wrapped the keys in material and put them in a drawer.

"We have had time to come to terms with it but at the time it was devastating. When we saw her we knew it was serious and the next day she was dead."