Former prisoner Elias Morgan, 35, was today found guilty of the murder of Lenny Scott, 33, in February last year after his relationship with a female prison officer was exposed
A man has been found guilty of the murder of a prison officer who was shot outside a gym in a “revenge” killing.
Lenny Scott, 33, from Prescot, Merseyside, was shot after leaving the gym in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, on February 8 last year. On Friday, a jury at Preston Crown Court found former prisoner Elias Morgan, 35, guilty of his murder, a spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.
The trial heard Morgan threatened Mr Scott after he reported an illicit phone found in his cell at HMP Altcourse in Liverpool in 2020. The inmate, whose relationship with a female prison officer was exposed after the phone was recovered, was reported to have told Mr Scott he would “bide his time” but he would “get him”.
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Morgan, of Highgate Street, Liverpool, shot Mr Scott six times to the head and body before fleeing the scene on an electric bike, the jury was told. Wendy Logan, deputy head of CPS North West’s complex casework unit, said: “Lenny Scott was a devoted father who had bravely upheld his duty when working as a prison officer by reporting an illicit phone he found in Elias Morgan’s cell in 2020.
“He did so in the face of attempts at bribery and also threats and intimidation by Morgan – and his commitment to public service will not be forgotten. Morgan – driven by revenge and believing he was above the law – carried out a cold-blooded murder.
“We were determined to deliver justice and see Morgan brought to book for his evil crime – and our case set out in clear terms how he planned and carried out his callous act. Our thoughts remain with Lenny’s family – particularly his three young children – and all those who cared for him as they deal with his loss.”
The CPS said Mr Scott was working as a prison officer at HMP Altcourse in 2020 and recovered a mobile phone in Morgan’s cell on March 26 that year. “Knowing that the phone contained information about an affair he was having with a female prison officer, Morgan attempted to persuade Mr Scott not to submit the phone,” the CPS said.
Morgan even offered Mr Scott £1,500 to get rid of the phone, but when that didn’t succeed, he turned to threats. Four years later, Morgan shot Mr Scott six times to his head and body before fleeing the scene on an electric bike. The CPS said: “Evidence presented by the prosecution showed that Morgan scouted out the places he believed Mr Scott may be as he planned the murder.”
The suspect was arrested on February 22, 2024, and made no comment during his police interview. He later went on to plead not guilty to murder today, but was today convicted of murdering Mr Scott.
A second man, Anthony Cleary, 29, of Smithdown Lane, Liverpool, was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter, the CPS spokesman said. Morgan will be sentenced on Tuesday, September 2.