A jealous lawyer hounded her estranged husband with derogatory Facebook messages and had him arrested after he began an affair with a younger woman.
Susilla Mercer, 44, branded Gerard Flynn’s South American girlfriend Shelina Kurz ‘scruffy’ and ‘trampy’, adding: ‘Penthouse to s***house does not even cut it.’
She also made unfounded allegations of assault against Mr Flynn which resulted in him being detained and quizzed by police, a court heard, only to be released without charge.
In response, Mercer – who married her husband in 2020 in a lavish £60,000 wedding ceremony at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire – messaged him saying: ‘I am sorry I got you arrested but I did not want to spend £200 to £300 an hour on a watertight divorce.
‘The copper then took it out of my hands and I spent the time with two barristers trying to get you out to make sure that the CPS did not take it further.’
She continued to berate his girlfriend on social media, cruelly branding her ‘ugly’.
Mercer also posted a picture of Ms Kurz with the caption: ‘F*** me. Her forehead is so big you could draw a picture on it.
‘She looks like she has just got out of bed.’
Lawyer Susilla Mercer, 44, pictured on the day of her lavish £60,000 wedding to Gerard Flynn at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire in 2020
Gerard Flynn with new girlfriend Shelina Kurz who was cruelly branded ‘scruffy’ and ‘trampy’ by his ex-wife Susilla Mercer
Susilla Mercer, 44, arriving at court to be sentenced for the harassment of her estranged husband and the racially aggravated harassment of his new girlfriend
In a statement Mr Flynn, who is believed to work in construction, said he suffered from constant anxiety which prevented him from leaving the house out of fear he would be arrested again.
He said because of his large build and the fact he is male, he did not think anyone would believe him.
Mr Flynn, 42, added: ‘My mental health declined rapidly and my friend had to pick me otherwise I would not go to work.
‘If it was not for the antidepressants I would not be where I am today.’
In her own victim statement, Ms Kurz – who is in her 30s – said: ‘It is not a nice feeling to hear bad things said about yourself online, especially when they do not know you.
‘It made me believe that the constant messages and phone calls would never stop.
‘It all affected my relationship with Gerard massively.
‘It was always in the back of my mind if she would show up.’
Susilla Mercer and Gerard Flynn pictured on their wedding day in 2020
Lawyer Susilla Mercer pictured with her then husband Gerard Flynn on holiday
Susilla Mercer sent ‘rambling voice notes’ to husband Gerard Flynn (pictured) after they separated in 2022
Gerard Flynn separated from wife Susilla Mercer over her alcoholism, a court heard
Mercer’s Runcorn-based firm Mercer Law was shut down in 2023 following a probe into allegations of dishonesty by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
At Warrington magistrates court she was sentenced to 12 weeks in jail suspended for 12 months.
Mercer had denied harassment of her husband and the racially aggravated harassment of Ms Kurz between January 2023 and July 2024.
But she failed to attend her trial and was convicted in her absence.
In the run-up to the hearing she posted pictures on Facebook of her wedding invitations with the caption: ‘What a waste of £60,000. Cheating lying f****r.’
When she attended her sentencing hearing, she said she was still ‘technically’ Flynn as her divorce ‘had not gone through’.
She was rebuked by JPs after laughing from the dock and saying: ‘It is because he has an affair.’
Kassem Noureddine, prosecuting, said Mr Flynn’s account was that he and Mercer separated in 2022 ‘as a result of her alcoholism’.
Gerard Flynn pictured with new girlfriend Shelina Kurz who was cruelly branded ‘scruffy’ and ‘trampy’ by his estranged wife Susilla Mercer
Gerard Flynn and his girlfriend Shelina Kurz (pictured) said the harassment by his estranged wife Susilla Mercer affected their mental health
From the start of 2023 he began receiving ‘rambling voice notes’ from her, Mr Noureddine said.
Following his arrest, Mercer made ‘derogatory comments’ about him and his new partner, he added.
In mitigation Sarah Bailey said her client’s conduct followed an ‘acrimonious divorce’ and a ‘new partner’ being introduced.
There are also ‘concerns about her mental health’, she added.
Mercer continued to claim Mr Flynn had assaulted her ‘but there was not enough evidence to convict and she is quite upset that nothing was done about that,’ she added.
‘She is here for what she says is just a couple of Facebook messages.’
Mercer was also banned from contacting the couple for 12 months under the terms of a restraining order and ordered to pay £804 in costs and a victim surcharge.
