Hugh Grant's PA Allegedly Drove Mother to Brink of Suicide Amid Stalking Campaign

Hugh Grant's former personal assistant was allegedly driven to the brink of suicide by her own mother, who subjected her to a sustained campaign of abuse and harassment, a court has been told.

Michelle Scully, 60, is on trial at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court, facing two counts of stalking between 2022 and 2024. She has pleaded not guilty to these charges but has admitted to abusing her daughter, Laura Peel, 39.

Scully's alleged campaign began after Peel, who previously worked as a PA for Grant on films such as "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." and "Cloud Atlas," asked her mother for help with childcare following the birth of her son. According to the prosecution, the arrangement quickly soured, leading to aggressive criticism of Peel's parenting skills and a "horrific" barrage of abusive messages. These messages allegedly included telling her daughter she should kill herself.

Prosecutor James Halliday told the jury that the abuse was a "systematic, deliberate campaign of stalking and harassment." He stated that Peel "contemplated taking her own life during the abuse."

Scully also allegedly attempted to involve Hugh Grant in the dispute, demanding over £200,000 that she felt the couple owed her. The court heard that Scully sent abusive messages to her daughter, criticizing her parenting and sending messages late at night. Laura Peel testified that her mother's words made her feel "worthless."

Danny Peel, Laura's husband and a City lawyer, also became a target. Scully reportedly called him "a piece of scum" and "a disgusting pig," accusing him of neglecting his fatherly duties. The prosecutor stated that Scully reported Mr. Peel to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and initiated civil court proceedings against him.

Scully, who had been staying at the couple's home in southwest London, left after the relationship deteriorated. The court heard that her behavior led to four police warnings. The abusive messages reportedly began immediately after she left the house.

In addition to the personal attacks, Scully allegedly emailed Mr. Peel's law firm, Travers Smith, making unfounded claims about him misappropriating property and coercing her out of money. She also claimed she had lost £300,000 to the couple and initiated abandoned civil proceedings for £31,000, though there is no suggestion Mr. Peel acted improperly.

Laura Peel told the court that her mother was also responsible for ending her working relationship with Hugh Grant. She said Grant had offered her another job on his campaign, but her mother discouraged her from taking it. Scully also allegedly involved Grant in an email chain regarding an old invoice, which Laura Peel found embarrassing.

During her testimony, Scully claimed her actions were motivated by concern for her grandson and a desire to reclaim money she had given the couple. She stated she paid for a private hospital birth and fertility treatment for her daughter and transferred £25,000, believing Laura would become suicidal if she didn't receive the funds. Scully admitted to abusing Laura and contacting Hugh Grant, calling her messages "horrific."

Scully admitted to breaching a police warning to stop contacting the couple, claiming she was only seeking the return of her property. She continued to message Danny Peel individually and make claims to his employers, stating, "The ends justified the means."

The trial is ongoing.