Prison guard murder accused denies 'death threats'

Elias Morgan (right) has been accused by his co-defendant Anthony Cleary (left) of admitting to shooting someone

A man accused of shooting a former prison officer in a "revenge" plot had allegedly issued death threats to other staff and inmates before, a jury has heard.

Elias Morgan, 35, denies ambushing and murdering father-of-three Lenny Scott outside a gym in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, on 8 February 2024.

Four years earlier Mr Scott, 33, had seized a phone from Mr Morgan's cell at HMP Altcourse in Liverpool, which exposed an affair he was having with another prison officer called Sarah Williams.

A jury has now heard a summary of "prison records" which claimed Mr Morgan had threatened other prisoners and staff, including as "punishment for grassing", on various occasions going back to 2011 - claims he denies.

Preston Crown Court heard those records suggested Mr Morgan had "threatened grave violence, including making death threats to coerce prisoners and prison staff" before his release in October 2022.

The records stated the threats included Mr Morgan, from Edge Hill in Liverpool, claiming he was "in contact with people in the community who will carry them out on his behalf with a variety of weapons".

Lenny Scott had left the prison service three years before he was murdered

The jury heard the threats related to drugs and to "punishment for grassing and other conduct he was unhappy with".

Mr Morgan, giving evidence from the witness stand, told the jury he had never seen those records until "about 15 minutes" before the hearing started.

Under questioning from his barrister, Caroline Goodwin KC, he was asked if he was involved with any threats or violence to other prisoners.

He replied: "Not at all. I have been in jail a total of about 10 years, I have had three fights in that time."

Ms Goodwin also asked Mr Morgan about an accusation made by his co-defendant, Anthony Cleary, also from Edge Hill, who is alleged to have helped him organise the shooting by driving a van to near the scene.

Last week Tim Forte KC, representing Mr Cleary, told the jury his client claimed Mr Morgan called him after the shooting and told him he had "done someone".

Mr Forte suggested his client had then been "bullied" into silence - which was denied by Mr Morgan.

Addressing the claim, Ms Goodwin said: "It was put to you directly by those on behalf of Mr Cleary that in the after events after the shooting you effectively bullied Mr Cleary into keeping quiet. Do you accept that?"

He replied: "No, not at all."

The jury has heard Mr Morgan allegedly attempted to pay Mr Scott £1,500 not to submit the phone to his superiors when it was found in March 2020.

Prosecutors say he allegedly moved on to making threats when Mr Scott refused the cash - which included accurately describing the officer's home and his family.

Under questioning from Ms Goodwin, Mr Morgan denied having any conversation with Mr Scott over money or making threats.

'Nothing special'

He told the jury he had no involvement in Mr Scott's shooting and denied he had a motive to "seek revenge".

Mr Morgan acknowledged that after his release in October 2022 he had been questioned over the discovery of the phone in his cell two years earlier, but said other prisoners involved had received only six-month sentences.

He also claimed he had been involved in several affairs with female prison officers in different jails during his time behind bars.

He denied he would be motivated to retaliate against Mr Scott over Ms Williams, who was later jailed for misconduct in a public office.

Mr Morgan told the jury: "It got suggested it was all about Sarah Williams. No disrespect to Sarah Williams - it was nothing special."

The trial continues.