Men accused of killing prison officer in 'revenge' attack pictured at Glastonbury Festival

2 July 2025, 07:55

Elias Morgan and co-defendant Anthony Cleary attended the festival in 2023 - months before prison officer Lenny Scott was killed in a shooting.

Elias Morgan and co-defendant Anthony Cleary are accused of murdering Lenny Scott, a father-of-three.

Mr Scott was shot dead outside a gym in Skelmersdale, West Lancashire, on February 8, 2024.

The court heard that Morgan, the alleged gunman, is accused of shooting Mr Scott in an "act of retaliation" after Mr Scott, 33, reportedly exposed an illicit relationship concerning him and a female officer at HMP Altcourse in Liverpool.

Cleary is alleged to have assisted Morgan by "delivering the van and bike so they could be used by a gunman who intended to kill Lenny Scott."

Both men deny murder.

Cleary denies a second charge of manslaughter.

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As court proceedings continued, prosecutor Alex Leach KC took the jury through a sequence of events including CCTV, ANPR footage and cell site data.

The prosecutor explained that the events showed contact between Morgan and Cleary dating back to June 2023 - when they were spotted together at Glastonbury Festival.

They went to the festival just days after Morgan gave a not guilty plea to possession of the unauthorised phone recovered by Mr Scott.

Telematics data on the Mercedes car belonging to Morgan showed it was in Spain until December 11.

The car is believed to have been there from at least July 11, the court heard.

Between November 12 and 19 that year, a number provided to Morgan used networks in the UAE and in Spain until December 11.

The court heard Morgan and Cleary's phones crossed from Spain into France on December 12.

An Instagram message recovered from Cleary detailed him telling an associate he was with "me bird, me mate" and that they were "bringing car back from Spain, few stops on the way."

Images found on Cleary's handset showed them together in Paris.

The Mercedes was back in Liverpool on December 13.

In the early hours of December 23, Morgan made a payment to Aer Lingus in Dublin and later made a payment to Manchester Airport, the court heard.

Meanwhile, A phone linked to Morgan was used across mainland Europe between December 24 and 30 and in Spain between New Year's Eve and January 2, 2024.

Mr Leach said on January 3, Morgan went on a "reconnaissance trip" where, along with other unidentified men, he visited three addresses linked to Mr Scott.

These included the North West Mecca Gym in Speke, Mr Scott's home address in Prescot and a gym at Peel House in Skelmersdale, which is where Mr Scott was killed, according to the Liverpool Echo.

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The prosecutor said: "On the 8th of February 2024...Lenny Scott was coming out of his gym at Peel House in Skelmersdale when he was approached by a man wearing a high-visibility jacket and carrying a handgun. The man shot him, six times, to the head and body. Lenny Scott died of his injuries. The man travelled to and escaped from the scene on an electric motorbike, which he loaded onto the back of a van, a short distance away, before driving back towards Liverpool. The murder was, the prosecution says, an act of retaliation.

"The prosecution says that once you've heard the evidence, you will be sure that, at the very least, Elias Morgan orchestrated Lenny Scott’s murder, recruiting Anthony Cleary to assist him in doing so. That alone would make him guilty of murder on count one.

"Moreover, the prosecution say, when you've examined the fine detail of the evidence, you will be sure not only that Elias Morgan is guilty of murder by organising the killing of Lenny Scott, you will be sure that it was he who pulled the trigger himself.

"For his part, Anthony Cleary, the second defendant, played a supporting role. Acting on instructions, he delivered the van, containing the electric motorbike used by the gunman, to a housing estate close to the gym. Moreover, he knew that he was delivering the van and bike so that they could be used by a gunman who intended to kill Lenny Scott, or at least to cause him really serious harm."