Pamela Gwinnett, a 63-year-old fraudster known as the 'Black Widow,' has been arrested in Tenerife after fleeing the UK before her conviction for swindling pensioner Joan Green out of nearly £300,000. She is now set to be extradited to the UK to serve a six-year prison sentence.
How Gwinnett Exploited Joan Green
Gwinnett posed as a carer for retired accountant Joan Green, 89, and manipulated her into granting Lasting Power of Attorney during the Covid-19 pandemic. This gave Gwinnett unfettered access to Green's finances, which she used to fund a lavish lifestyle including Botox, beauty treatments, expensive meals, and a £22,500 car. She isolated Green from her family by changing the locks and landline number, and made false accusations against her relatives. One physiotherapist described Green as living like a 'caged animal.' Green died in 2022, having been 'milked like a cash cow.'
Flight and Arrest
In April 2025, Gwinnett asked a judge to amend her bail conditions to travel to Tenerife to scatter her brother's ashes, but the request was refused. She ignored the court order and fled to the Spanish island five days later. She was convicted in her absence at Preston Crown Court in October 2025 and sentenced to six years in prison, with a Proceeds of Crime Act order to repay £300,000. Judge Michael Maher said she treated the process with 'utter contempt' and called her actions an 'affront to justice.' Greater Manchester Police (GMP), working with the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Spanish authorities, located and arrested Gwinnett in Tenerife. She will now be extradited to the UK.
Statements from Authorities
Investigating officer PC Georgia Loughton said: 'I am pleased that Pamela Gwinnett will be returned to the UK where she will serve her sentence. Pamela knowingly defrauded a vulnerable woman out of almost £300,000, cutting off all contact with her family and controlling every aspect of her life.' Chief Superintendent Helen Critchley added: 'Our teams have worked alongside the National Crime Agency and Spanish authorities to ensure that Gwinnett is brought back to the UK to face the consequences of her crimes. This arrest highlights our commitment to relentlessly pursue those who commit crimes and exploit vulnerable people in our communities.'
Details of the Fraud
Gwinnett stole a total of £296,173.68 from Green, who had saved the money with her late husband Stanley, a retired senior manager at British Aerospace. She used the funds to pay off her own mortgages, buy a £22,500 car, and fund expensive meals and beauty treatments. Carers reported Gwinnett 'barking' at Green and neglecting her basic care needs. She also falsely claimed to have the support of the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle. In March 2022, Green's family successfully revoked Gwinnett's Power of Attorney, but Gwinnett opened a joint bank account with Green to continue accessing her money.
