SIX weeks after being released from jail, George Zimmerman, has turned himself in to police after having his bond revoked, says his lawyer.
Judge Lester found that Zimmerman, who faces second-degree murder charges in the death of Trayvon Martin, had misled the court about his finances, with the help of his wife, during his hearing in April.
Zimmerman had access to around $135,000 from a PayPal account that collected donations through a legal defence website, but his wife testified that she was unaware of how much money had been collected.
Believing that Zimmerman had no money, the judge released him on a low bond of $150,000.
But during Friday’s hearing prosecutors presented of telephone conversations between Zimmerman and his wife, alleging that the pair were discussing in code what to do with the money.
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His lawyer Mark O’Mara said that he was unaware of the money at the time of the first hearing and that he planned to ask for another bond hearing so that Mr Zimmerman could explain himself to the judge.
He said: “Judge Lester runs a very tight courtroom, as well he should. He didn’t believe they were being as straightforward and honest as he wanted them to.”
Martin’s death on February 26 created a national controversy after the police declined to arrest Zimmerman for over a month, prompting questions about racial profiling and Florida’s self-defense law.
Zimmerman, who had a license to carry a concealed weapon, said that he shot Martin in self-defense, after the unarmed teenager attacked him.
Witnesses claimed they heard shots and saw figures fighting outside their windows, but the rain and darkness may have obscured their view.
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Consequently, Zimmerman’s account of what happened that evening as Martin walked through a gated community in Sanford back to the home of his father’s girlfriend is critical to Zimmerman’s self-defense case.
“The fact George Zimmerman was dishonest is very important because his credibility is the most important thing in this entire case,” Benjamin Crump, the Martin family lawyer, said after Friday’s court session.
O’Mara said that Zimmerman’s safety was still a concern. He has been in hiding since shortly after the shooting.
He said: “There are on-going threats and concerns and complaints. I don’t know where along the spectrum they become true threats. We have begun to process and analyse a number of the statements he has given to the police.”