Pamela Gwinnett, a 63-year-old woman convicted last year of exploiting an elderly client, was arrested at Manchester Airport on Thursday evening after arriving from Tenerife.
Court conviction and flight
Gwinnett was convicted by a jury of fraud by abuse of position and theft for taking money from an elderly woman she had acted as an unofficial carer for. Court records state she took just over £296,000 from the victim, who died in November 2022 shortly before her 90th birthday.
After an application to vary her bail was refused in April this year, Gwinnett left the United Kingdom for Tenerife about five hours later. She was sentenced in her absence at Preston Crown Court in 2025 and was believed to have remained abroad until this month, when Spanish authorities detained her.
Arrest at Manchester Airport
Today (Thursday, 30 July) Greater Manchester Police arrested Gwinnett as she disembarked a Ryanair flight at Terminal Three at around 8pm. National Crime Agency officers brought her through arrivals where GMP custody officers took her into custody. She is due to appear at Preston Crown Court the following morning in relation to failing to appear.
- Suspect: Pamela Gwinnett, aged 63
- Amount taken: £296,000 (just over)
- Victim: elderly woman, died November 2022
How the offences were carried out
Court material records that Gwinnett obtained powers of attorney and used bullying, coercion and threats to extract money from the victim, including after the woman’s death. The convicted fraudster reportedly changed the victim’s contact details, dismissed a long-standing gardener and made unfounded allegations about family members, isolating the victim and facilitating continued access to funds.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Conviction | Fraud by abuse of position; theft |
| Sentence | Passed in absence at Preston Crown Court (2025) |
| Arrest location | Manchester Airport, Terminal Three |
Gwinnett was described at the time of arrest as having been escorted from the aircraft by NCA officers and then placed into the custody of GMP. She is due to answer to charges including failing to attend court, and further hearings will determine enforcement of the sentence already handed down in her absence.
Wider concerns and local context
This case underscores the vulnerability of older people to abuse by those in positions of trust. It also highlights the importance of robust safeguards around powers of attorney and the need for vigilance from family members, professional carers and local services. Authorities in the region have in recent years worked to strengthen adult safeguarding arrangements, and prosecutions such as this one form part of that wider enforcement effort.
Further updates on court appearances will be published as Gwinnett’s case progresses through the criminal justice system.
Ethan Green, InfoRadar Bury correspondent
