Peace was remanded for a week, in which he refused to give his name. But while in captivity he wrote a letter to a business colleague who decided to co-operate with police. The colleague revealed its author as Peace, writing under his pseudonym John Ward. Under that name, he was tried at the Old Bailey for burglary and the attempted murder of PC Robinson. The evidence against the prisoner was clear, and he was sentenced by Justice Hawkins to penal servitude for life.