Defence backed over shooting of Trayvon Martin
Forensics expert says black teen was on top of neighbourhood watchman when gun was fired
A forensic expert has backed George Zimmerman's account of his fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, testifying in the neighbourhood watchman's US murder trial that evidence showed he was under the unarmed black teenager when he fired his gun.
It was the latest in a series of blows to the prosecution, underscoring a widely held view among lawyers following the case that the state aimed too high in charging Zimmerman with murder.
The forensic pathologist testifying for the defence cited the trajectory of the bullet that pierced Martin's chest and gun powder on his body in supporting Zimmerman's version of events of the shooting.
"It's consistent with somebody leaning over the person doing the shooting," said Dr Vincent DiMaio, a former chief medical examiner in Texas.
Zimmerman remained free for 45 days after the killing of Martin, 17, on February 26 last year because police initially accepted his claim of self-defence.
A special prosecutor brought the charge of second-degree murder against Zimmerman, possibly bowing to public pressure after protests and cries of injustice in Sanford, the small Florida town where the incident occurred.
