A fraudster known as the "Black Widow" has been arrested in Tenerife and will be returned to the UK to face justice after swindling a pensioner out of nearly £300,000. Pamela Gwinnett, 63, posed as the carer of retired accountant Joan Green to plunder her life savings, spending the money on Botox and lavish dining while confining Mrs Green to her home in Chorley, Lancashire.
How the Fraud Unfolded
Gwinnett convinced the 89-year-old to grant her Lasting Power of Attorney, then systematically drained her funds. She fabricated false allegations against Mrs Green's relatives, changed the locks, and replaced the landline number at her gated bungalow to isolate her from family and friends. Over the course of the Covid pandemic, Gwinnett embezzled a total of £296,173.68—money that Mrs Green and her late husband Stanley, a retired senior manager at British Aerospace, had accumulated over a lifetime.
Escape and Arrest
Gwinnett fled the UK in April 2025 while awaiting trial for theft and fraud by abuse of position. She had petitioned a judge to change her bail terms, claiming she needed to travel to Tenerife to scatter her brother's ashes. The application was denied, but she ignored the ruling and boarded a flight to the Spanish Canary Islands five days later. In her absence, she was found guilty and sentenced to six years in prison at Preston Crown Court in October 2025. A subsequent Proceeds of Crime Act hearing ordered her to repay £300,000.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP), which led the investigation, confirmed her detention on the island after working with the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Spanish authorities. Gwinnett now faces extradition to serve her sentence.
Victim's Ordeal
Joan Green passed away in 2022, having been "milked like a cash cow" by Gwinnett. Investigating officer PC Georgia Loughton from GMP 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. She was trusted by Joan, and she used this position of trust to her own financial gain. Joan was isolated from her family and denied from seeing her grandchildren and their children. Sadly, Joan passed away in 2022, however we hope that the return of Pamela to the UK to serve her sentence gives Joan's family a sense of justice as they look to move on with their lives."
