Pamela Gwinnett, a fraudster dubbed the 'Black Widow,' was arrested upon her arrival at Manchester Airport as she returned to the UK to face justice for defrauding an 89-year-old woman out of £300,000. Gwinnett, 63, had fled to Tenerife in April 2025 while on bail awaiting trial for the crimes against Joan Green of Chorley, Lancashire.
Preston Crown Court heard in October 2025 that Gwinnett, who had become Ms. Green's carer and taken control of her finances, plundered the vulnerable pensioner's life savings. Gwinnett was convicted and sentenced in her absence to six years in prison for theft and fraud by abuse of position. Greater Manchester Police and the National Crime Agency, in conjunction with Spanish authorities, facilitated her extradition back to the UK.
Earlier in 2026, a Sky News crew had confronted Gwinnett outside her apartment in the Canary Islands, where she denied the accusations. "I don't need to answer these questions. Did I heck take the money," she told the channel.
Gwinnett fled to Tenerife just hours after a court rejected her request to modify bail conditions, which she claimed was to scatter her brother's ashes on the island. Judge Michael Maher, who sentenced her in absentia, characterized Gwinnett's actions as exploiting Joan Green as a "cash cow" and noted a "self-assured shamelessness" in her fraudulent activities.
During her scam, Gwinnett made false accusations of theft and neglect against Ms. Green's step-daughter and step-grandchild before obtaining power of attorney. The court heard that Gwinnett used Ms. Green's money to fund a lavish lifestyle, including purchasing a car valued at £22,500 and undergoing expensive beauty treatments.
Judge Maher had previously expressed a strong desire for Gwinnett's extradition, stating, "I sincerely hope that Ms. Gwinnett is extradited back to the UK to serve this sentence for these egregious offenses. It is an affront to justice and the rule of law for this defendant to be allowed to remain in Tenerife."
Gwinnett is scheduled to appear at Preston Crown Court on Friday morning to address the charges related to her failure to appear in court previously.