What started as a £60,000 fairytale wedding at a castle ended in chaos, courtrooms, and online insults.
A bitter breakup spiraled into something far more serious when 44-year-old lawyer Susilla Mercer began relentlessly targeting her estranged husband and his new girlfriend, leading to harassment charges and a courtroom showdown.
Rage and Revenge After the Relationship Fell Apart
Susilla Mercer couldn’t accept that her marriage to Gerard Flynn was truly over — especially after he moved on with a younger South American woman named Shelina Kurz.
Instead of letting go, Mercer unleashed a wave of anger and jealousy, most of it through social media.
She mocked and insulted Kurz online, calling her “scruffy,” “trampy,” and “ugly.”
In one particularly cruel post, she shared a photo of Kurz with the caption: “Her forehead is so big you could draw a picture on it. She looks like she just got out of bed.”
And that wasn’t all — Mercer also falsely accused Flynn of assault, leading to his arrest.
Though police later released him without charge, the emotional toll on Flynn was immense.
Falsely Accused and Living in Fear
Flynn, 42, said in court that he was left in constant fear of being arrested again.
His anxiety became so intense that he couldn’t leave the house without someone accompanying him.
“If it wasn’t for the antidepressants,” he admitted, “I wouldn’t be here today.”
He also said his physical appearance — as a large-built man — made him feel like no one would believe he was the victim.
Online Abuse Took a Toll on the New Girlfriend Too
Shelina Kurz, the woman at the center of Mercer’s anger, said the hateful online comments made her feel constantly uneasy
. “It’s awful hearing such nasty things about yourself from someone who doesn’t even know you,” she shared.
The barrage of calls and messages, she said, began to wear on her relationship with Flynn.
She admitted she often worried that Mercer would randomly appear in person, which put a dark cloud over their time together.
Mercer’s Law Firm Shut Down After Separate Misconduct Probe
The situation took a deeper turn when it was revealed that Mercer’s legal practice, Mercer Law based in Runcorn, had already been shut down in 2023.
The closure came after a separate investigation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority into allegations of dishonesty.
Trial Drama and Sarcastic Remarks in Court
Mercer didn’t show up for her trial and was convicted in her absence.
When she eventually appeared at Warrington Magistrates’ Court for sentencing, her attitude sparked frustration.
Laughing in the dock, she tried to excuse her actions by saying, “It’s because he had an affair.”
She even posted about their wedding on Facebook during the run-up to the hearing, writing: “What a waste of £60,000.
Cheating lying f****r,” next to a photo of their old wedding invitations.
Sentenced but Unapologetic
Magistrates sentenced Mercer to 12 weeks in jail, suspended for 12 months.
Despite denying the charges of harassment against Flynn and racially aggravated harassment against Kurz, she was found guilty.
She was also slapped with a restraining order banning her from contacting the couple for a year, and ordered to pay £804 in legal costs and victim compensation.
Legal Team Blames Divorce and Mental Health Struggles
Mercer’s barrister, Sarah Bailey, told the court that Mercer’s behavior stemmed from an “acrimonious divorce” and lingering emotional issues.
She also pointed to concerns around her mental health, noting that Mercer was still upset over her claim that Flynn had assaulted her — though there wasn’t enough evidence to pursue that allegation.
The defense tried to downplay the harassment, describing it as “just a couple of Facebook messages.”
But the prosecution painted a picture of months of psychological torment.
From Castle Wedding to Criminal Record
The fall from grace has been sharp. Once a practicing solicitor with her own firm and a storybook wedding in Cheshire’s Peckforton Castle, Mercer now carries a criminal conviction and a suspended sentence — all for letting jealousy spiral out of control.