Pamela Gwinnett, a conwoman dubbed 'the Black Widow', has finally been imprisoned, 16 months after fleeing to Tenerife. The 63-year-old targeted vulnerable pensioner Joan Green, swindling nearly £300,000 from the retired accountant who lived in Chorley.
How the fraud unfolded
Gwinnett infiltrated Mrs Green's upmarket bungalow posing as a carer, claiming to have the pensioner's welfare at heart. She then isolated Mrs Green from her devoted family, replacing the locks on the gated property and changing the landline number, while spreading vicious falsehoods about relatives who tried to contact her.
She treated Mrs Green as 'her own personal cash cow', spending the stolen money on Botox treatments, expensive dinners, and a high-end vehicle.
Escape and capture
After her arrest, Gwinnett fled to Tenerife in a desperate bid to avoid prosecution. Following 16 months as a fugitive, she appeared at Preston Crown Court wearing the same leopard print bomber jacket she had on when she returned to the UK.
Mrs Green's grandson, David Bolton, said: "We are just relieved. We are very happy to finally see her in the dock and sent off to prison. It's been a long time coming."
Sentencing and reaction
In October 2025, Judge Michael Maher handed Gwinnett a six-year prison sentence for theft and fraud by abuse of position. During today's proceedings, he added a further two months after she pleaded guilty to a bail act offence.
Gwinnett's barrister, Rosalind Scott-Bell, said the escape was driven by 'fear, anxiety and mental health issues'. But Mr Bolton responded: "She has never apologised once. She's shown no remorse whatsoever through any of this. Regards her anxiety, that comes with committing crimes and getting caught."
Judge Maher noted that Gwinnett had requested permission to modify her bail terms to scatter her brother's ashes in Tenerife, but the court remained 'rightly sceptical'. "No evidence as to the existence of a brother has been produced, much less that he was deceased," he stated.
He added: "On April 8, I was informed you had boarded a plane to Tenerife, about five hours after the court had refused your application. Despite the fact one of your passports had been returned to the authorities you used another passport in order to abscond from the jurisdiction."
Addressing reporters outside court, Mr Bolton said: "We are relieved. We are happy to finally see her in the dock and sent to prison. It's been a long time coming. My nan unfortunately died under Pamela Gwinnett's control. Hopefully she didn't believe the lies that Pamela was feeding her. She'll never get justice but we as a family can get on with moving on with the rest of our lives."
During a Proceeds of Crime hearing, Gwinnett was ordered to repay £350,180 to Mrs Green's family. It is believed property has been confiscated to recoup the funds.
