A convict who gunned down a prison officer as ‘revenge’ for exposing his relationship with a female officer has been jailed to 45 years behind bars before parole.
Elias Morgan, 35, gunned down father-of-three Lenny Scott outside of a gym in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, on February 8, 2024.
Mr Scott, 33, had discovered a phone in the criminal’s former cell in HMP Altcourse, Liverpool, in March 2020, Preston Crown Court previously heard,
The phone had evidence pertaining to Morgan’s sexual relationship with prison officer Sarah Williams, prosecutor Alex Leach KC said.
Initially, Morgan, of Edge Hill, tried to bribe Mr Scott to ‘b***s up the paperwork, offering him £1,500 not to report the find.
When he refused and reported the phone Morgan threatened his victim’s family before vowing revenge, telling Mr Scott, ‘I’ll bide my time’ and making a gun gesture.
The submission led to both Morgan and Williams being prosecuted, and, from that moment Morgan told the father ‘he would get him,’ the court was told.
Almost four years later, after Morgan had served his sentence and Mr Scott had been sacked the Prison Service after he punched a prisoner in the face, he carried out the threat.
On February 8, last Mr Scott was ‘approached by a man wearing a high-visibility jacket and carrying a handgun’ as he left the gym.
Morgan shot his victim with a 9mm handgun once in the head and five times in the body, before fleeing on an electric scooter.
‘The man shot him, six times, to the head and body. Lenny Scott died of his injuries. The murder was an act of retaliation,’ Mr Leech previously told the court, before adding that the evidence showed the convict ‘pulled the trigger himself’.
He was arrested after detectives from Lancashire Police began investigating and uncovered the threats Morgan had made to his victim.
During the trial, it was heard Mr Scott reported receiving the threats from Morgan days after the phone was found.
A ‘visibly frightened’ Mr Scott told his former partner that Morgan had told him that his ‘home would be blown up with his family inside’.
Four days later he told a police call handler: ‘I’m in fear for my family’s life.’
The jury heard he also reported the threats to the Prison Service, saying Morgan had told him his family would be hurt if he did not drop the illegal phone matter.
Instead the phone was examined and Morgan was charged with unauthorised possession of the mobile phone in April 2023.
Mr Scott had left the Prison Service in 2021 and played no part as a witness in the prosecution.
Williams, the officer with whom Morgan had had a relationship, later admitted three offences of misconduct in a public office and a computer misuse offence in June 2023.
Morgan denied a charge of unauthorised possession of the mobile phone and a court hearing was scheduled for February 19, 2024 – 11 days after Mr Scott was murdered.
Morgan denied any involvement in Mr Scott’s death but was convicted of murder by a jury following a nine-week trial last Friday.
Mr Justice Goose, sentencing, described the murder as a ‘carefully planned, revenge killing of a prison officer,’ who ‘was loved, respected and made his family proud.’
Morgan handed himself in to police after his name began circulating in connection with the shooting, but denied any involvement.
After Morgan’s name began circulating in connection with the shooting, he handed himself in to police, however, denied any involvement. Then, he was bailed while police gathered evidence.
It was revealed, by detectives tracing his phone and vehicle data, that Morgan’s spent weeks stalking his victim, learning his daily schedule before launching the cold-blooded attack.
Morgan’s co-accused, Anthony Cleary, 29, from Liverpool, was found not guilty by the jury of murder and manslaughter.
The gun used in the murder has never been recovered.
Following the sentencing, Paula Scott, the mother of the former prison officer, said her son ‘lost his life standing up for what was right’.
‘We are so angry that Lenny was killed because he was doing the right thing, doing his job well with pride and integrity and maintaining his strong values,’ she said.
‘Despite being threatened by Morgan, he stuck to his values and followed prison procedure. He lost his life standing up for what was right.
‘Morgan has no regard for the impact of his actions. He not only has stolen Lenny’s future, but he has stolen our future with him.
‘Lenny now won’t achieve all the things he was working towards, all the plans he had with his children, his chance to see them grow and flourish, that has been taken away from us all.
‘Finally, to Lenny, thank you for being the person you were, for all the lovely memories, for all your banter and laughter.
‘We will never forget you, and we will always be proud of you. We love you.’
Speaking outside the court, Detective Chief Inspector Lee Wilson said the ex-prison officer ‘was murdered by Elias Morgan in a vengeful and cold-blooded assassination.’
‘It is one of the most callous, brutal and inhumane things I have ever seen in my 30 years as a police officer. He gave Lenny no quarter,’ he added.
Mr Wilson called Mr Scott a ‘man of integrity’ who ‘did the right thing in challenging circumstances’ while working at HMP Altcourse.
‘It was this that cost him his life,’ he added.
‘After seizing an illicitly held mobile phone from prisoner Elias Morgan, Lenny resisted bribes and threats made towards him.
‘These threats including the chilling phrase: “I’ll bide my time, but I promise I will get you”.
‘Morgan unfortunately made good on this threat, waiting four years to take his revenge on Lenny.’
He also branded Morgan a ‘small, cowardly, evil’ man, while describing Scott as ‘a big, strong, kind man, so full of heart and integrity,
‘[He was] loved by many, who in simply trying to do his job, keeping the community safe, paid the ultimate price.
‘In absolute contrast, Elias Morgan is a small, cowardly, evil individual who executed this much loved father and son for simply doing his job.’