For nine excruciating weeks, Neil and Paula Scott sat quietly in the public gallery of Preston Crown Court, their eyes fixed on the man who had taken their son’s life. The trial was grueling, peppered with legal delays and the emotional strain that only grieving parents can know. But on August 29, 2025, justice was finally served: Elias Morgan, a 35-year-old former prisoner and drug dealer, was found guilty of murdering 33-year-old Lenny Scott, a devoted father and former prison officer, in what prosecutors described as a cold-blooded act of revenge.
The roots of this tragedy stretch back to March 26, 2020, inside HMP Altcourse, a prison in Liverpool. Lenny Scott, then a prison officer, discovered an illicit mobile phone in Morgan’s cell. According to the BBC, the device contained evidence of an affair between Morgan and a female prison officer, Sarah Williams. The revelation would set off a series of events that would ultimately end in murder.
Prosecutors told the court that Morgan, desperate to keep his secret, attempted to bribe Scott with £1,500 to “lose” the phone. But Scott, described by his father as a man of unwavering principle, refused. Instead, he submitted the phone as evidence, triggering disciplinary action against both Morgan and Williams. Williams would later admit to multiple offences of misconduct in public office and computer misuse, as reported by The Daily Mail.
The fallout was immediate and chilling. Morgan, incensed that Scott had not cooperated, issued a series of threats. He told Scott he would “get him” and would “bide his time.” According to court testimony, Morgan provided chillingly accurate details about Scott’s home, partner, and children. The threats were so severe that Scott, visibly frightened, reported them to both police and the Prison Service. “I’m in fear for my family’s life,” he told a police call handler just days after the threats began.
Despite these warnings, Scott’s parents believe the prison service failed to take the danger seriously. “I think they could have done more – what is apparent is that they did not take the threat seriously,” said Paula Scott, Lenny’s mother, in an interview with the BBC. Neil Scott echoed her concerns: “To have all the personal data passed on to the person who’s made these death threats is unheard of. It should be the most sacred piece of information.” Both parents expressed disappointment at the lack of support from Altcourse bosses, feeling that the gravity of the threats was never fully recognized.
Life changed dramatically for Lenny Scott after the 2020 incident. Once motivated by a passion for helping others—first as a firefighter in the Royal Air Force, then as a prison officer—he grew disillusioned with his career. In 2021, he was dismissed from the prison service after punching a prisoner during an attempt to restrain him. His parents say the threats and lack of institutional support weighed heavily on him.
On February 8, 2024, Morgan’s threats culminated in a meticulously planned attack. Surveillance footage and eyewitness accounts presented at trial showed Morgan waiting outside a gym on Peel Road in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, for nearly an hour. Dressed in a high-visibility jacket and armed with a handgun, Morgan approached Scott as he left the gym and shot him six times in the torso and head. Morgan then fled the scene on an electric bike, a getaway aided by co-defendant Anthony Cleary, who was later acquitted of all charges.
The murder was described by prosecutor Alex Leach KC as “an act of retaliation.” The Crown Prosecution Service’s Wendy Logan 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.” Logan added, “Morgan—driven by revenge and believing he was above the law—carried out a cold-blooded murder.”
Throughout the trial, Morgan showed no remorse. Paula Scott recounted, “Seeing Morgan in the dock has just shown me exactly who he is. He has got no remorse.” She described how Morgan would sometimes stare at her from the witness stand, as if forgetting where he was for a moment. “But it’s been so important for me to look at these people to see if there is any ounce of remorse, but there isn’t.”
The jury heard that Morgan and Cleary had spent January 3, 2024, conducting reconnaissance as part of their plan. Morgan was arrested on February 22, 2024, but made no comment during his police interview. He pleaded not guilty at trial but was convicted by a unanimous jury verdict. Sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday, September 2.
For the Scott family, the pain is still raw. Lenny is remembered not just as a prison officer or a victim, but as an “amazing” man devoted to his three children. “Lenny’s life was quite simple,” Paula Scott told the BBC. “It was the gym, his work, the children. Just everything about him was about the children. He was just a great dad. He was happiest spending time with them.”
Neil Scott reflected on his son’s integrity: “It was his principles, unfortunately, that turned against him, but if he hadn’t have done that, that wouldn’t have been Lenny.” Despite the tragedy, the family is determined not to let it define their lives. “I think we just have to try and find a new normal,” Paula said. “It will be so hard without Lenny, but we can’t let them destroy all our lives, for the children’s sake. They still have to have a life—they’ll remember him.”
As the community in Prescot and Skelmersdale comes to terms with the shocking loss, the case has raised serious questions about how threats against public servants are handled and the support provided to those who put themselves at risk in the line of duty. Sodexo, the private company contracted by the Ministry of Justice to run HMP Altcourse, has been contacted for comment but has yet to respond.
Lenny Scott’s story is one of courage, principle, and tragic loss—a reminder of the dangers faced by those who serve, and the enduring impact of violence on families and communities.
