The Burden of Proof (Barlow novel)

The Burden of Proof is a 1968 crime novel by the British writer James Barlow.

Synopsis
Vic Dakin, a crime lord with a vast empire across London takes place on a raid on a wages van that goes wrong. Needing an alibi he arranges to blackmail a corrupt MP with evidence of his sexual wrongdoing to give perjured testimony in court. However, the police are doggedly on Dakin's trail.

Adaptation
In 1971, it was adapted into the British film Villain directed by Michael Tuchner and starring Richard Burton, Ian McShane and Nigel Davenport. As a tie-in with the film, the novel was reissued with the alternative title Villain.