Key facts
- Nicholas Brandram, 44, died this week after being arrested in connection with the 'Putney pusher' case.
- His family claims there was no forensic evidence linking him to the 2017 incident.
- The family stated that the police investigation caused Brandram 'immense pressure', shame, anxiety, and humiliation.
- They allege the police arrested him despite a lack of credible evidence and that the investigation became a 'public ordeal'.
- The Metropolitan Police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
- The IOPC is assessing the referral from the Met Police.
The family of Nicholas Brandram, 44, have insisted he was not the 'Putney pusher' and have blamed the Metropolitan Police investigation for contributing to his death. Brandram was found dead at his home in Chiswick, west London, on Tuesday, after being arrested in June on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm in connection with the 2017 incident where a woman was pushed into the path of a bus on Putney Bridge.
In a statement released via a consultancy firm, his family said Brandram was living with 'shame, anxiety and humiliation' and that the police investigation caused him 'immense pressure'. They claimed there was no forensic evidence linking him to the crime, no evidence placing him on Putney Bridge at the time, and no credible evidence that he was the man shown in the footage, stating that 'the evidence proved the opposite'. The family added that the police arrested him rather than inviting him for an interview, searched his home, and that the Met Police press team's release of information led to speculation and his identification in subsequent reporting.
They stated that the police were repeatedly asked to end their investigation and warned about the impact on Brandram's mental health, but the investigation was not brought to an end. The family expressed profound grief and anger that Brandram's name had not been formally cleared by the time of his death.
The Metropolitan Police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). An IOPC spokesperson confirmed they had received a mandatory referral relating to prior contact officers had with Brandram and were assessing it to decide if further action was required. The Met Police stated that Brandram's death was being treated as 'unexpected' and not suspicious, and that a file would be prepared for the coroner.
The original investigation into the 'Putney pusher' incident in 2017 involved interviewing over 50 men and arresting three suspects, but no one was charged and the case was closed in 2018. CCTV footage showed a jogger forcefully shoving a female pedestrian into the path of a bus.