Solicitor who harassed ex and his partner avoids jail with suspended sentence

Susilla Mercer convicted in absentia for racially aggravated harassment of her ex’s new partner

A former solicitor whose firm was shut down by regulators has received a suspended prison sentence for a campaign of harassment against her estranged husband and his new partner, which included racial abuse and false police allegations.

Susilla Mercer, 44, ran Mercer Law in Runcorn until it was closed in August 2023 following a Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) investigation into allegations of dishonesty. Less than a year later, she stood accused of a series of personal attacks that would culminate in a 12-week jail sentence suspended for 12 months, handed down by Warrington Magistrates’ Court.

Mercer was convicted in her absence after failing to attend her trial. She was found guilty of harassing her former husband, Gerard Flynn, and racially aggravated harassment of his new partner, Shelina Kurz, over an 18-month period between January 2023 and July 2024.

The court heard how Mercer falsely accused Flynn of assault, leading to his arrest and police interview. But when no charges were brought, she texted him, admitting the arrest was a tactical move during their divorce. “I am sorry I got you arrested,” she wrote, “but I did not want to spend £200 to £300 an hour on a water-tight divorce.”

She continued: “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 the CPS did not take it further.”

In a further act of harassment, Mercer uploaded Kurz’s profile photo to social media and made derogatory and racially offensive comments directed at her.

Sarah Bailey, defending, said Mercer had suffered emotionally during the breakdown of her marriage and that her mental health had deteriorated during the process. She argued that Mercer believed her allegations of assault had been genuine but that the police had decided not to pursue them due to a lack of evidence.

“This is an acrimonious divorce,” Bailey said. “There are issues around the introduction of a new partner. The defendant maintains she was only responding with a few Facebook messages.”

But magistrates disagreed, imposing a restraining order banning Mercer from contacting Flynn or Kurz for 12 months. She was also ordered to pay £804 in prosecution costs and a victim surcharge.

Social media posts by Mercer showed further signs of emotional distress. Ahead of her court appearance, she shared a photo of her wedding invitations — printed on her now-defunct firm’s letterhead — captioned: “What a waste of £60,000.”

Mercer is currently not listed as practising on the SRA register. The regulator confirmed it is still investigating the circumstances of the intervention into Mercer Law and is aware of the criminal proceedings.

The case adds to growing concerns over professional standards in the legal sector and the need for more robust mental health support for solicitors facing disciplinary or personal crises.