Run Ends in Jail: Fraudster Who Stole £300,000 from Pensioner Extradited

A fraudster who spent 16 months hiding in Tenerife after being convicted of stealing an elderly woman’s life savings has been handed an additional two-month prison sentence for breaching her bail conditions.

Pamela Gwinnett, 63, received the sentence at Preston Crown Court on Monday following her extradition from Spain. She fled to Tenerife in April 2025, just hours after a court rejected her application to vary her bail conditions, which she claimed was to enable her scatter her brother’s ashes. She also failed to comply with a court order requiring her to surrender her passport while awaiting trial for defrauding 89-year-old Joan Green of Chorley.
Gwinnett was arrested at her apartment in Tenerife on July 14 and extradited to the United Kingdom, arriving at Manchester Airport last week. Appearing in court in the same clothes she wore upon arrival, she admitted breaching her bail conditions.
While sentencing her, Judge Michael Maher said there was no evidence that Gwinnett’s brother existed or had died, describing her actions as a deliberate and sustained attempt to evade justice.
Last October, Gwinnett was convicted in her absence by a jury and sentenced to six years in prison for theft and fraud by abuse of position after conning Mrs Green out of about £300,000.
Her lawyer, Rosalind Scott Bell, apologised on her behalf, saying Gwinnett fled because of fear, anxiety and poor mental health. She added that her client continued to maintain her innocence.
Rejecting the apology, Judge Maher said it carried no weight, adding that Gwinnett had treated both the court process and Joan Green with utter contempt.
The court heard that Gwinnett, from Adlington, Lancashire, systematically drained the life savings of retired accountant Mrs Green while acting as her carer. She isolated the elderly woman from her family, took control of her finances and secured power of attorney after making false allegations of theft and neglect against Mrs Green’s stepdaughter and step-grandchild.
She then used the stolen funds to finance a lavish lifestyle, including purchasing a £22,500 car and paying for expensive beauty and Botox treatments.
During the original sentencing, Judge Maher described Mrs Green as “a cash cow to be milked until she was dry,” adding that Gwinnett had manipulated and isolated a vulnerable woman under the guise of friendship to enrich herself.
When confronted by a Sky News crew outside her Tenerife apartment before her arrest, Gwinnett denied stealing the money, saying: “I don’t need to answer these questions. Did I heck take the money.”
The court also ordered her to repay the stolen funds. Judge Maher commended the Crown Prosecution Service, Greater Manchester Police, the National Crime Agency and journalists for their roles in securing her extradition and bringing her to justice.
Mrs Green died in November 2022.