Pamela Gwinnett, a former carer convicted of theft and fraud, was arrested at Manchester Airport after being extradited from Tenerife. She was sentenced in her absence to six years for stealing nearly £300,000 from 89-year-old Joan Green. Gwinnett fled while on bail in April 2025; the victim died in 2022 and the family were denied closure. UK and Spanish authorities worked together to secure her return to face justice.
Care Worker Who Fled To Tenerife After Stealing Nearly £300,000 Arrested At Manchester Airport
Fraudster who fled to Tenerife arrested at airport
Pamela Gwinnett, a former carer convicted of theft and fraud, was arrested at Manchester Airport after returning to the UK from Tenerife. Gwinnett was previously sentenced in her absence to six years' imprisonment for defrauding 89-year-old Joan Green of almost £300,000.
Case Summary
Preston Crown Court heard that Gwinnett took control of retired accountant Joan Green’s finances and deliberately isolated her from family while acting as her carer in Chorley, Lancashire. The sentencing judge said Gwinnett treated the pensioner as a "cash cow to be milked until she was dry." The victim sadly passed away in 2022.
Gwinnett flew to Tenerife in April 2025 while on bail, just hours after a court refused an application to vary her bail so she could allegedly scatter her brother’s ashes on the island. While on Tenerife she was filmed outside her seaside apartment by reporters and denied the thefts, saying: "I don't need to answer these questions. Did I heck take the money."
Extradition And Arrest
Following a cross-border investigation by UK and Spanish authorities, Gwinnett was extradited to Britain. She was escorted into a police van on arrival at Manchester Airport and will now serve the six-year sentence imposed in her absence. She is also due to appear at Manchester Magistrates’ Court in relation to her previous failure to attend court.
The prosecution said Gwinnett used Joan Green’s life savings to fund an extravagant lifestyle, including the purchase of a car worth £22,500 and costly beauty treatments such as Botox.
PC Georgia Loughton, Greater Manchester Police: "Work to convict Gwinnett and her evading justice has been ongoing for quite some time. Unfortunately, the victim in this case sadly passed away in 2022. Gwinnett's actions have denied the victim's family closure – we hope some form of closure comes from this result."
Clare Meehan, National Crime Agency: "Pamela Gwinnett abused her position as a caregiver to commit serious fraud offences against a vulnerable woman. Since she fled the UK, the NCA has worked closely with Greater Manchester Police and our law enforcement partners in Spain to secure her return to face justice."
Gwinnett's arrest concludes a coordinated international probe into the exploitation of an elderly, vulnerable person and ensures the convicted offender returns to Britain to serve her sentence.
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