In seven months in 1971–1972, the Varley-Burton car gang stole $1.5 million in cars. The gang's chop shops began being raided in January 1972. Alan Burton disappeared on 7 February 1972. Put on trial for the murder, his partner Reg Varley claimed Fred Krahe received the majority of the $1.5 million, and killed Burton for stealing. Varley said he had been forced into the operation by police at gunpoint, and implicated dozens of CID officers in the scheme. He claimed two policemen, Krahe and Cyril Roy Edwards, were looking to give Burton 'a hiding' on 7 February for stealing $20,000. After Varley objected, Krahe kicked the one-legged man's crutch out from under him, assaulted him and took him along to pick up Burton, who was dragged out of eyesight. Then, Varley said, shots rang out, and presumably Burton was murdered. After the longest New South Wales murder trial to that point in history, Varley was acquitted of murder by the jury, yet convicted of manslaughter. The Judge, Justice Issacs, was more than willing to acknowledge that, in his words, "One of the most disturbing features of the case was that not only the operation carried out under the nose of the motor squad but that it received the active co-operation of certain corrupt members of the police force who gave protection to the gang by being paid bribes periodically." Justice Issacs was unwilling to believe Varley was a coerced victim on any level and sentenced him to 14 years. Varley screamed and berated the Judge as the sentence was read out, and as Varley's family tried to calm him, he was restrained by the same detective who had led the Burton investigation, Detective Sgt. RJ Douglass. Asked if he had anything to say, he launched into a 10-minute speech of incredulity at the verdict and the harsh sentence, before concluding that he had no choice but to accept it. He was paroled after six years, and steadfastly maintained his innocence. Varley's case became something of a celebrated cause even after he was released, with even noted Australian physician Dr. Bertram Wainer championing him.