Whole life sentences to be prolonged to revenge killings towards cops and jail officers, David Lammy pronounces, in wake of stunning gangland ‘execution’
Whole life sentences are to be extended to revenge killings against police and prison officers in the wake of a shocking gangland ‘execution’.
Murderers who kill current or former police, prison or probation officers because of their jobs will likely get the toughest of jail terms, the Justice Secretary announced.
David Lammy said he was broadening the range of whole life orders in the wake of the murder of prison officer Lenny Scott in 2024.
Murderers who have a whole life order imposed by a judge will not be allowed parole and will die behind bars.
There are currently 74 prisoners serving whole life tariffs in England and Wales.
Father-of-three Mr Scott was shot six times outside a gym in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, in February 2024 by a gangland ‘executioner’ who waited four years to take revenge on the prison officer.
Mr Scott had confiscated an illegal mobile phone from armed robber Elias Morgan at HMP Altcourse in Liverpool.
Police said Mr Scott had been ‘assassinated’ by Morgan, who was described as a ‘cold-blooded executioner who took a man’s life doing his job’.
Elias Morgan (left) was found guilty of murdering prison officer Lenny Scott (right) in 2024
Former prisoner Elias Morgan, 35, was found guilty of murder by a jury at Preston Crown Court
Lenny Scott, a father of three, was shot six times outside the gym by a gunman
Morgan received a minimum jail term of 45 years.
Mr Lammy told the Commons: ‘I’d like to pay tribute to Lenny Scott who was a dedicated prison officer and much loved family man.
‘In 2020 he seized an illicit mobile phone from a prisoner who took revenge four years later by taking his life in broad daylight.
‘Perpetrators of heinous killings like these must feel the full force of the law.
‘I can announce today that we will broaden the starting point for whole life orders to include murders connected to the current or former duties of a police, prison or probation officers.
‘This means offenders can expect to spend the rest of their lives behind bars.’
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick said: ‘It is absolutely right that we extend this to brave prison officers who are killed both in the course of their duties and in the exceptional circumstances that faced Lenny Scott after they have left the service.’
Mr Scott’s parents Paula and Neil welcomed the changes, which were adopted by ministers following a campaign by the Conservatives.
Mr and Mrs Scott said in a statement: ‘Lenny was killed in cold blood because he did his job properly and refused to be intimidated.
‘Although the man who murdered him is serving a long sentence, the fact remains that the law did not allow the judge to impose a whole life order simply because Lenny was no longer in post when he was killed.
‘That has felt deeply unjust to us.
‘It is very moving for us, his children and our whole family to know that losing Lenny has at least led to something positive.’
CCTV footage from the scene of Mr Scott’s murder showed he left the gym shortly before 5:30pm and chatted to someone in the car park
A man, wearing orange hi-vis, could be seen loitering nearby, seemingly waiting for someone
As Mr Scott stood chatting, the man approached him before rounding the corner with a gun
A mobile phone found in Morgan’s cell contained evidence that he was having a ‘sexual relationship’ with prison officer Sarah Williams (pictured), the court was told
They added: ‘We are very proud of Lenny and how brave and principled he was.
‘He stood up for what was right and paid a terrible price.
‘But something good has come as a result, so we have another reason to be proud.
‘Lenny always wanted to make a difference and now he has.’
Morgan planned the killing after investigators at HMP Altcourse discovered evidence he was having a sexual relationship with a female officer called Sarah Williams after the phone was found in March 2020.
Morgan’s trial at Preston Crown Court earlier this year heard he had offered Mr Scott £1,500 as a bribe to ‘lose’ the phone when it was found.
When he refused, Morgan made a series of threats which left Mr Scott ‘terrified’, including describing his address and the appearance of his partner and twin boys.
At the time Mr Scott told his father, Neil, that Morgan said to him: ‘I’ll bide my time, but I promise I will get you’ before making a gun gesture with his fingers.
Mr Scott left the Prison Service in 2021 when he was dismissed over an incident involving the restraint of a prisoner unrelated to the Morgan case.
Morgan had been freed in 2022 but was on bail awaiting trial for offences linked to the discovery of the phone, which saw his former lover Williams jailed for 18 months for misconduct in a public office.
The changes will be brought into law through amendments to the Sentencing Bill, which is currently going through Parliament.
