It has been confirmed that fugitive fraudster Pamela Gwinnett has been arrested in Los Cristianos, south Tenerife, following months on the run after fleeing the UK before standing trial for stealing almost £300,000 from vulnerable pensioner Joan Green.

The arrest has now been officially confirmed by Greater Manchester Police, while Joan Green's family have also confirmed they have been informed of the development.

Canarian Weekly reported yesterday that unconfirmed reports were emerging of Gwinnett's arrest. Those reports have now been verified by UK authorities.

Gwinnett, 62, disappeared to Tenerife in April 2025 after breaching her bail conditions, despite a judge refusing her permission to travel. She was later convicted in her absence at Preston Crown Court of fraud by abuse of position and theft and sentenced to six years in prison.

The case attracted widespread attention after it emerged that Gwinnett had isolated 89-year-old Joan Green from her family, obtained lasting power of attorney and systematically drained her savings to fund luxury purchases, including property mortgage payments, cosmetic treatments, expensive meals and a new car. Judge Michael Maher described Joan as a "cash cow to be milked" and said Gwinnett had treated the justice system with "utter contempt".

Joan Green's family, who have campaigned tirelessly to bring Gwinnett back to the UK, have welcomed the arrest after nearly a year of uncertainty. The family had repeatedly expressed concern that she was living openly in southern Tenerife while avoiding justice.

The arrest marks a significant breakthrough after months of public appeals from Joan Green's family and repeated calls by the sentencing judge for UK and Spanish authorities to secure Gwinnett's return to face justice.

What happens next?

Although Gwinnett has been arrested in Los Cristianos, she will not be flown back to Britain immediately.

Because she has already been convicted and sentenced by a UK Crown Court, the British authorities are seeking her surrender to serve her six-year prison sentence rather than extradition for trial.

Following her arrest in Tenerife, she is expected to appear before the Spanish judicial authorities before the case is dealt with by Spain's National Court (Audiencia Nacional), which handles international surrender requests.

The court will verify the UK warrant and decide whether the legal requirements for her return have been met. However, as she has already been convicted of serious fraud offences, the proceedings are expected to focus on the legality of the surrender request rather than the evidence in the criminal case itself.

If Gwinnett agrees to be surrendered, she could be returned to the UK within a matter of days. If she contests the request, the process could take several weeks or months while any legal challenges to the extradition request, are heard.