WOODSTOCK, Ont. - The man accused of kidnapping and killing eight-year-old Victoria Stafford is getting a first look at the evidence against him.
Wearing a orange jump suit, Michael Rafferty, 28, appeared in a Woodstock, Ont., court Friday via videolink from the London-Middlesex Detention Centre.
After the brief process, his lawyer Hal Mattson said the Crown provided significant disclosure -- some 300 gigabytes of electronic material.
Mattson asked that the case be put over until July 17 so his office has time to review the files.
He also wants to allow the Crown more time to provide full disclosure.
"We can't move the file forward until there's all the disclosure," he said.
"Because it's being done in an electronic format, the technical people have to make it all available, the client will have to review all the material at the jail and that may take a long time too."
Rafferty and Terri-Lynne McClintic, 19, are both charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in the case of the little girl who vanished April 8 outside her school. They are to be tried separately.
Mattson said he doesn't expect the case to get rolling until early 2010, though he noted the wait is having an effect on his client.
"At this point, like anybody, I think he's anxious to know what the case is against him," he said.
For the time being, Mattson said he has no plans to try to get the charges against Rafferty reduced.
Victoria's parents, Tara McDonald and Rodney Stafford, were both absent from the court room, although McDonald's brother attended.
McClintic's next video appearance is set for June 23.
