Former prisoner jailed 45 years for killing prison officer in revenge

A jury at Preston Crown Court found former prisoner Elias Morgan guilty of murdering prison officer Lenny Scott after ambushing him outside a gym in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, on February 8, 2024, prosecutors said. Morgan, 35, was convicted on August 29 and was sentenced on September 2 to 45 years in prison after the judge determined the killing was planned and carried out in revenge, the court heard.

The court heard that the attack followed a dispute that began in March 2020, when Mr Scott, then serving as a prison officer at HMP Altcourse, seized a mobile phone from Morgan's cell that contained evidence of a sexual relationship between Morgan and a female officer. Prosecutors told jurors that Morgan offered Mr Scott 1,500 to dispose of the phone, then resorted to threats when the officer reported the device to his superiors. Morgan was released from Altcourse in October 2020, the trial record shows.

Prosecutors said Morgan stalked Mr Scott for months before carrying out the killing. On the afternoon of February 8, Morgan walked out from behind a parked car and shot Mr Scott six times, including to the head, then fled on an electric bike. CCTV footage shown in court captured the...