Father of three ‘silenced’ after uncovering affair and inmate corruption, trial told
A harrowing tale of corruption, betrayal, and cold-blooded murder is unfolding in a Liverpool courtroom, as two men stand trial for allegedly orchestrating the execution of a prison officer who dared to expose the rot within the system.
Lenny Scott, 33, a respected prison officer at HMP Altcourse and father to three young children, was gunned down outside a gym in Skelmersdale in February 2024. The attacker, disguised in a hi-vis jacket, fired six shots at close range in what prosecutors describe as a calculated, gangland-style hit.
In the dock is Elias Morgan, an inmate allegedly fuelled by revenge after Scott uncovered his secret sexual relationship with prison officer Sarah Williams—and then refused a £1,500 bribe to keep quiet about a smuggled phone linking them to corruption. Prosecutors claim that Morgan meticulously plotted Scott’s assassination to protect himself and retaliate against the man who turned him in.
Anthony Cleary, Morgan’s alleged accomplice, is accused of sourcing the getaway van and electric bike used in the ambush. He denies murder and manslaughter charges.
The murder trial at Liverpool Crown Court has gripped the nation, lifting the lid on the murky intersections between organised crime and Britain’s prison system.
Scott’s partner, Lucy Griffiths, and his mother, Paula, delivered emotional testimonies about the psychological toll Scott endured after doing the right thing. He lived in constant fear, they said, after becoming a marked man for exposing inmate wrongdoing and staff misconduct.
Embed from Getty Images“He said he was scared for his family… He didn’t feel supported,” said Paula, her voice trembling. “It changed everything for him. He knew they valued his life so little.”
The chain of events began in 2020 when Scott discovered a contraband mobile phone in Morgan’s possession. Inside were compromising messages and photos implicating Williams. Rather than accept hush money, Scott turned the evidence over, giving multiple witness statements that ultimately led to Williams’s conviction for misconduct—and Morgan’s pending criminal charges.
But that bravery came at a cost.
Just days before Morgan was due in court, Scott was murdered. Prosecutor Alex Leach KC painted a chilling portrait of a vengeful inmate determined to remove a key witness before his own trial could proceed.
“The evidence reveals a powerful image: Morgan, driven by a desire for revenge, planned and executed the murder of Lenny Scott, assisted by Cleary,” said Leach.
Cleary is alleged to have provided the tools necessary for the hit—knowing full well that a man’s life would be taken. The court heard how he sourced the getaway vehicle and e-bike, allowing the assassin to strike quickly and vanish.
Outside court, public outrage has swelled. Campaigners are asking how a whistleblower could be left so exposed, and why the prison service failed to shield one of its own from such a violent fate.
The case exposes the deadly risks faced by honest officers in a system where speaking out can turn deadly. If the prosecution’s claims hold true, Scott was executed not for a vendetta—but for doing his duty.
As the trial continues, many hope it delivers justice not just for Scott and his devastated family, but for every prison worker who risks standing up to corruption. But the central question haunts every word of testimony: how could this happen, and who allowed it to?
