A fugitive conwoman nicknamed 'the Black Widow' has finally been imprisoned, 16 months after fleeing to Tenerife. Pamela Gwinnett 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 family while draining her life savings. She replaced locks, changed the landline number, and spread falsehoods about relatives. She treated Mrs Green as 'her own personal cash cow', spending money on Botox, expensive dinners, and a high-end car.
Arrest and escape
After her arrest, Gwinnett fled to Tenerife to avoid prosecution. Following 16 months as a fugitive, the 63-year-old appeared at Preston Crown Court wearing the same leopard print bomber jacket she had on when returning 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."
Court proceedings
Gwinnett's barrister, Rosalind Scott-Bell, attributed the escape to 'fear, anxiety and mental health issues'. However, 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."
In October 2025, Judge Michael Maher sentenced Gwinnett to six years for theft and fraud by abuse of position. During the latest hearing, he added two months after she pleaded guilty to a bail act offence.
Judge Maher said: "Despite the apparent difficulties with your mental health it seems you were sufficiently robust to travel outside the UK." He noted that Gwinnett had requested permission 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.
On 2 April, restrictions were imposed banning foreign travel and requiring her to surrender her passports. "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," the judge added.
He also noted that during her trial, while nearly 2,000 miles away, she continued to make bogus allegations against Joan Green's family. "You apologise through Ms Scott-Bell for what you did. Quite frankly, your apologies stand no weight at all," he said.
Family reaction and financial recovery
Outside court, David 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 recover the funds.
