Murder-accused inmate 'described Lenny Scott's family to him'

BBC News

2 days ago

An inmate described a serving prison officer's children and girlfriend "to a tee" in a series of threats four years before he was murdered, a court has heard.Jurors heard Lenny Scott told a police call handler he was "in fear for my family's life" after prisoner Elias Morgan said he had "lads everywhere" and that his house was being watched.Mr Morgan, now 35, is on trial at Preston Crown Court accused of shooting Mr Scott outside a gym in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, on 8 February 2024. The prosecution allege it was an "act of retaliation" after Mr Scott seized a mobile phone from Mr Morgan's cell at HMP Altcourse in Liverpool in March 2020.
Jurors heard the phone contained evidence of Mr Morgan having a sexual affair with a prison officer called Sarah Williams, resulting in both of them being prosecuted. Prosecutor Alex Leach KC said that when Mr Scott refused a £1,500 offer to "lose" the phone, Mr Morgan responded with "powerfully made" threats.These allegedly left the experienced prison officer feeling "very frightened". Mr Scott was dismissed from the prison service for unrelated reasons in 2021.
A recording of a 101 telephone call made by Mr Scott to Merseyside Police on 30 March 2020 - four days after he seized the phone - was played to the jury.Mr Scott began the call by explaining that he was a prison officer.He said a car, sent by an inmate, had been "sat outside my house all weekend". Mr Scott told the call handler that the prisoner had been "threatening my family". When she asked who had made the threat, Mr Scott replied: "Elias Morgan. He's described my family and me to a tee, described my house."Mr Scott said the threats came after he had "nicked" Mr Morgan "for a phone". The prison officer said: "Until I 'drop' that, he said they're staying there and they're just going to constantly be around my house, and I'm just in fear for my family's life."
'This is real'
Mr Scott went on to explain that Mr Morgan had described his vehicle, his twin boys, his girlfriend and his house accurately. The call handler asked if Mr Morgan could be "chatting" over this, meaning not making serious threats. "No, I believe this is real," Mr Scott replied. "This is my third jail, I've been threatened all the time, but this is a bit..."The call handler interjected: "Too close to home?""Yeah," Mr Scott replied. Earlier this week jurors were told a gunman, wearing a high-visibility jacket, approached Mr Scott outside a gym on Peel Road in Skelmersdale and shot him once in the head and five times to the body. The prosecution claim Mr Morgan was the gunman and that he was supported by co-accused Anthony Cleary, 29, who allegedly left a van and electric bike for Mr Morgan near the scene.Mr Morgan, of Highgate Street, and Mr Cleary, of Smithdown Lane, both in the Edge Hill area of Liverpool, deny murder.Mr Cleary also denies an alternative charge of manslaughter.The trial continues.
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