When a former prison officer was executed in a cold-blooded murder, it destroyed the lives of those around him. But the impact extended far wider.
Dad-of-three Lenny Scott was gunned down after finding a phone which revealed Elias Morgan, 35, was in a sexual relationship with a female prison officer. Morgan, from Edge Hill, Liverpool, first tried to bribe Mr Scott, at the time working at HMP Altcourse, Merseyside, offering him £1,500 to not report the find.
But when he refused and reported the phone, the court heard how Morgan then threatened his victim's family before vowing revenge, telling Mr Scott, "I'll bide my time" and making a gun gesture.
Almost four years later, after Morgan had served his sentence and Mr Scott, from Prescott, Merseyside, had left the Prison Service, he carried out the threat. Mr Scott was leaving a gym in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, on the evening of February 8 last year.
Sign up to the MEN Court newsletter here
Morgan shot Mr Scott with a 9mm handgun once in the head and five times in the body, before fleeing on an electric scooter. He was arrested after detectives from Lancashire Police began investigating and uncovered the threats Morgan had made.
Morgan denied any involvement but was convicted of murder following a nine-week trial.
Killed for 'carrying out his duty', shockwaves echoed throughout the Prison Service and left tens of thousands of employees asking one question - what if I'm next? During the nine-week trial, the court heard how Mr Scott had notified his seniors at HMP Altcourse about a series of threats, made by his murderer Elias Morgan in 2020 and acted upon four years later.
But the security at the private prison, which is currently operated by Sodexo, concluded that the threats represented a "low risk" and closed the case. Mr Scott's parents, Paula and Neil, told the ECHO in an exclusive interview ahead of the conviction of Morgan that they did not believe enough was done to support their son.
The ECHO, the M.E.N.'s sister site, reports that sources at Altcourse have now alleged staff safety is not taken seriously, even in the wake of Mr Scott's death. One prison officer said: "I remember Lenny telling us about his feelings that his concerns were not being taken seriously by the prison...all staff feel the same now. Why would we report our concerns?"
A spokesperson at HMP Altcourse said: "Our prison community has been devastated by the tragic death of our former colleague, Lenny Scott, and our deepest sympathies are with his family and friends. HMP Altcourse has been operated by a new provider since 2023 and is committed to continuously improving processes to safeguard our colleagues."
Mr Scott, 33, was working as a prison officer when he was tasked with searching Morgan's cell on March 26 2020. Upon entering the cell with two other officers, Mr Scott quickly located an iPhone and logged a report. As well as it being illegal to hold the phone inside prison, Morgan knew it also held evidence that he had been engaged in an affair with a serving female guard.
Morgan offered £1,500 to Mr Scott to not continue with his report, but when the officer refused, the prisoner issued a series of threats, including "I'll bide my time, but I promise I will get you". Mr Scott reported the threats to the prison and called 101 to report the threats to the police. Officers visited his home after Morgan named Mr Scott's three children and said he had people watching his house.
The trial heard from the security governor Mark Jones, who spoke with Mr Scott about the threat. He said: "My thoughts were that I was grading it as low risk...I can't remember how Lenny seemed. During the meeting we went through the information. The outcome was I didn't believe there was a high risk...and it was an intimidation tactic used by Elias Morgan."
An investigation into the threats made against Mr Scott was completed on April 21 2020. The prison was operated by contractor G4S at the time. However, the ECHO understands the upper management at the prison remains the same to this day.
An Altcourse source told the ECHO: "I knew Lenny well and he helped me settle in the prison. I remember him telling us that his concerns had not been taken seriously by the whole security management. His death rocked the prison. Despite him being gone for a long time [when he was killed], people remembered him fondly. When [the murderer] turned out to be an ex-prisoner, that was concerning for us all."
Mr Scott was renowned in the prison for his size, which he cultivated through body-building and contact sports including ju-jitsu. This meant he was often first through the door and used as a "battering ram" to help detain large and troublesome inmates. But detectives also described him as a "bit of a renaissance man" when it came to the rehabilitation of prisoners, often keen to help troubled individuals use exercise as a means to help with their time at the jail.
Mr Scott's family said their son became disillusioned about his career in the Prison Service in 2020 following the threats. The trial also heard Mr Scott was fed up of reporting alleged corruption inside the prison without senior management acting upon it, while he felt he was being pulled up on minor details. He was dismissed from the service the following year for an unrelated incident.
Mr Scott's mum Paula told the ECHO: "He was used to threats but this one was different. This one was more personal and I think he had become a bit disillusioned after that. It made it all a bit more real [seeing how] this could affect his home life."
Mr Scott was murdered on February 8 2024 when Morgan, clad in a mask and hi-vis jacket, approached him outside a gym on Peel Road in Skelmersdale and shot him six times. Recalling the moment she was told her son had been shot in, Mr Scott's mum said the threats from 2020 instantly came to mind, adding: "Once they said it was a targeted attack, I knew".
Detective Chief Inspector Lee Wilson, who led the Lancashire Constabulary investigation into Mr Scott's murder, told the ECHO that part of their work included the possibility of different threats. "The evidence was pointing towards Morgan but it was right to look at others as Lenny worked in a hostile environment," the senior officer said.
"Threats were issued regularly and we had to look at others who were capable of the attack." DCI Wilson said the force identified 38 people and through a trace, interview, eliminate process, with help from Merseyside Police and the Prison Service, ruled out any other suspects.
While they and their son accepted that threats at prison were "part and parcel" of the job, the Scotts criticised Altcourse for the lack of support, particularly given personal details appeared to have been leaked by someone inside the jail. "I don't believe Altcourse gave recognition that this should have been treated as the highest level of threat," said Mr Scott's dad, while his mum added: "We are disappointed in how that was handled. From then his life changed so much."
A source at the prison claimed when it came out in the ECHO that Morgan's threats were deemed low risk it "angered a lot of people". They added: "Nothing has been said since other than the fact they are angry people are talking to the ECHO.
"The safety of staff at the prison is not taken seriously at all...staff feel like they are waiting to be disciplined for mistakes rather than supported and guided...All staff feel the same now, why would we report our concerns?" The ECHO also approached GMB, the trade union recognised at the prison, for comment but received no response.
A spokesperson for Altcourse told the ECHO: "We want to be absolutely clear that our primary concerns are the safety of those who work and live at the prison. We can confirm that we are subject to, and follow, all relevant HMPPS security policies and procedures. We are carefully reviewing the outcome from the trial and considering appropriate next steps."
Mark Fairhurst, chair of the Prison Officers' Association and a serving guard at HMP Liverpool, told the ECHO that the murder was "an unprecedented attack and is unheard of". He added: "Many experienced staff, myself included, are subject to threats on our life and family, but I have never known this happen on mainland Britain.
"To be targeted some years after leaving the service sent shockwaves around the staffing cohort and left many people considering their career choice." Mr Fairhurst added the private provider at Altcourse "should have done so much more to remove this threat".
Lord Timpson, minister for prisons, probation and reducing reoffending, said: "This was a truly shocking crime, and my thoughts remain with Mr Scott's family, friends and former colleagues. We know this trial has been deeply distressing for many, and we remain committed to ensuring our brave prison officers get the support they need.
"We will always work hand in hand with police to protect staff and pursue the toughest punishments for those who seek to cause them harm."
Morgan was sentenced to a minimum term of 45 years in prison. The presiding judge Mr Justice Goose said if Mr Scott had still been a serving prison officer at the time of his murder then Morgan would have received a life order, meaning he almost certainly would never be released.