After fleeing to Tenerife, a lady who exploited her role as a caretaker to defraud a vulnerable retiree of nearly £300,000 was apprehended upon her return to the United Kingdom.
After taking on the role of carer for 89-year-old Joan Green from Chorley, Lancashire, Pamela Gwinnett was found guilty of theft and fraud.
While on bail, she took a plane to Tenerife in April 2025 and was given a six-year prison sentence while she was away.
Following an inquiry by Spanish and UK authorities, Gwinnett was extradited back to the nation. He arrived at Manchester Airport on Thursday and was taken into a police van.
Due to her prior failure to appear in court, Gwinnett will now have to serve her six-year sentence and is scheduled to appear at Manchester Magistrates Court later.
Preston Crown Court heard that Gwinnett controlled retired accountant Joan Green’s funds and cut her off from her family when she was convicted in her absence last year.
The 89-year-old was described by the case’s court as a “cash cow to be milked until she was dry” by Gwinnett.
In 2025, just hours after a court request to change her bail terms so she could allegedly bury her brother’s ashes on the island was denied, the scammer took a plane to Tenerife.
When Sky News met her outside her island flat by the sea, she denied robbing the pensioner, saying reporters, “I don’t need to answer these questions.” Did I really take the cash?
The court heard that Gwinnett spent Green’s money on a lavish lifestyle, including a £22,500 car and pricey Botox and cosmetic procedures.
Greater Manchester Police PC Georgia Loughton stated: “Work to convict Gwinnett and her evading justice has been ongoing for quite some time.”
Sadly, the victim in this case died in 2022. We hope that Gwinnett’s efforts will bring some closure to the victim’s family.
“Pamela Gwinnett abused her position as a carer to commit serious fraud offences against a vulnerable woman,” stated Clare Meehan of the National Crime Agency. “Since she fled the UK, the NCA has worked closely with Greater Manchester Police and our law enforcement partners in Spain to secure her return to face justice.”
At Manchester Airport, a fraudster who “abused her position” to steal £300,000 from a vulnerable pensioner before escaping overseas to avoid justice has been taken into custody.
In order to keep Joan Green away from her family, Pamela Gwinnett pretended to be a carer. She then gave herself power of attorney and stole the 89-year-old’s life savings.
She utilised the money to support an opulent lifestyle, purchasing a car valued at over £20,000 as well as pricey Botox and cosmetic procedures.
In 2025, Gwinnett went to Tenerife in an attempt to avoid prosecution. In October of that year, she was found guilty of several charges, including theft and fraud by abuse of position, and given a six-year prison sentence.
In order to find Gwinnett and start the process of her return to the UK, where she will complete her term, the National Crime Agency (NCA), Spanish authorities, and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) collaborated.
She was detained at Manchester Airport on July 30 after being extradited back to the UK from Spain. She is scheduled to appear before Manchester Magistrates Court on July 31 to answer to accusations of failing to appear earlier.
PC Georgia Loughton of GMP is hoping for “some form of closure” for Joan Green’s family.
“Work to convict Gwinnett and her evading justice has been ongoing for quite some time,” she stated. “This result is the culmination of a tenacious investigation ensuring that we secured justice for the family of the victim at the center of this case.” We were unwavering in our resolve to return her to the UK, where she will now complete her prison sentence.”
Gwinnett’s persistent targeting of the elderly Chorley, Lancashire resident, for whom she “occasionally did some shopping and light cleaning,” was previously heard by Preston Crown Court.
In addition to controlling Joan’s life and preventing her from visiting her grandkids and great-grandchildren, Gwinnett used her position of trust to deprive Joan of her life savings.
Judge Michael Maher described to the court how the con artist altered the landline number “in order to isolate your golden goose” and padlocked Joan’s home.
He said: “When one of the carers overheard Joan asking you why her family didn’t come around anymore, you sought to brainwash her saying they are not good enough for you. “You managed how her bank cards were used and kept her from seeing any bank employees regarding her finances. She was under your control, to put it plainly.
Before she could witness Gwinnett’s prosecution, Joan died in 2022.