Caregiver who fled to Spain after stealing £300,000 from pensioners to be extradited to UK News of the World

A woman who fled to Spain after stealing nearly £300,000 from an elderly woman she cared for will be extradited to the UK to begin serving a six-year sentence, the BBC reported.Pamela Gwinnett, 63, absconded on bail to Tenerife ahead of her trial for exploiting Joan Green, 89, a retired accountant from Chorley, England. Last October, she failed to return to court in her absence and was found guilty of theft and fraud for abuse of power.Greater Manchester Police said Gwinnett has now been arrested in Spain and will be returned to the UK following a joint effort between the National Crime Agency and Spanish authorities.Investigators say she abused her position as Green’s carer, gradually taking control of the pensioner’s finances and isolating her from her family before siphoning nearly £300,000 from her savings. Joan Green passed away in November 2022.Detective Inspector Georgia Lawton, who is leading the investigation, said police hope Gwinnett’s return will bring a measure of justice to Green’s family and allow them to continue to rebuild their lives.The court previously heard that Gwinnett traveled to Tenerife in April 2025, just hours after a judge refused her request to change her bail conditions so she could travel to the island, where she claimed she wanted to scatter her brother’s ashes.Sentencing, Judge Michael Maher said Gwinnett deliberately manipulated and exploited a vulnerable woman for financial gain. He described Green being treated like a “cash cow” and said the fraud was carried out with “confidence and shamelessness”.The judge said Gwinnett spent years winning Green’s trust before isolating her and enriching herself at the pensioner’s expense.As part of the scheme, Gwinnett made false accusations of theft and neglect against Greene’s stepdaughter and stepgrandson before obtaining a victim power of attorney.The stolen money was used to maintain a lavish lifestyle, including buying a car worth £22,500 as well as luxury beauty and Botox treatments.Passing sentence, Judge Maher said he hoped Gwinnett would eventually return to the UK, adding that allowing her to remain in Tenerife would be “an affront to justice and the rule of law”.