Parents' 'immense pride' at murdered son's legacy

The parents of a former prison officer murdered in a revenge attack for simply doing his job have described their pride at his "legacy" after they were praised in Parliament.

Lenny Scott, from Prescot in Merseyside, was tracked down by ex-prisoner Elias Morgan and shot dead outside a gym in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, in February 2024.

Four years earlier, Scott had unwittingly exposed an affair Morgan was having with a female prison officer when he seized a phone from the convicted armed robber's cell at Liverpool's HMP Altcourse.

His parents have since campaigned for a change in the law to allow judges to give whole life prison orders to those who kill former police or prison officers.

As it stands judges are only able to give whole life orders to murderers who kill on-duty officers.

But following a campaign by Neil and Paula Scott - supported by Shadow Justice Minister Kieran Mullan - that loophole is to be closed to cover offenders who murder off-duty or former officers because of their job.

In the House of Lords, Prisons Minister Lord Timpson paid tribute to the grieving parents for their "dignified and determined campaign".

"We are so proud to hear Lenny being spoken about in Parliament to people being interested in Lenny's story," Paula said.

"It's the immense pride we feel, and also how that will make his children feel in the future, that he did make a difference.

"That's all Lenny ever wanted to do, he wanted to make a difference, and he has."

Morgan, from Edge Hill in Liverpool, was found guilty of murder at Preston Crown Court and jailed for life with a minimum term of 45 years.

In 2021, a jury heard Morgan first attempted to bribe Scott after the tall and heavily built prison officer found the phone during a cell search.

But when it became clear Scott would not be tempted to "lose" the phone, Morgan resorted to making chilling death threats and even obtained accurate information about the officer's home address, children and partner.

Scott reported the threats to the police, telling a 999 call-handler he believed Morgan had people watching his house.

Morgan was moved to another wing of the prison a few days later and the threats appeared to stop, and Scott left the prison service later in 2021.

Morgan, however, sat on the grudge for years until he ambushed Scott, shooting him six times with a handgun in a car park.

His parents told the BBC they were proud that their son had "done the right thing".

"That was the integrity he showed in all walks of life, always trying to do the right thing, helping people," said Neil Scott.

"He couldn't have turned the other cheek because it wouldn't have been him."

The changes will be brought in under proposals in the Sentencing Bill, which has just passed its third reading in Parliament.

Probation officers will also be brought within the scope of the widened sentencing powers.

Paula Scott said: "We are very passionate about that - that police, prison officers, probation officers - that they are all in such an important job.

"But the risks they take are immense and it's just anything to know how much they're valued.

"I think this will help."

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