The family of Nicholas Brandram has denied he was the "Putney pusher" and stated that immense pressure from the Metropolitan Police investigation contributed to his death. Brandram, 44, was found dead at his home on Tuesday, weeks after being arrested and released under investigation for the 2017 incident.
The case highlights the potential impact of prolonged police investigations and public identification on an individual's mental health and well-being, raising questions about investigative practices and the handling of sensitive cases.
The family of Nicholas Brandram have insisted he was not the “Putney pusher” and claimed that “immense pressure” caused by the Metropolitan Police investigation contributed to his death. Brandram, 44, was found dead at his property in Chiswick, west London, on Tuesday.
Brandram had been arrested in June on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm in connection with the 2017 incident where a jogger shoved a woman into the path of a bus on Putney Bridge. He was released under investigation last week. His family stated in a statement that 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. They asserted that the evidence actually proved the opposite.
The family criticized the police for arresting Brandram rather than inviting him for an interview, and for releasing information that led to his identification in subsequent reporting. They claimed he lived with "shame, anxiety, humiliation and extraordinary pressure" due to the investigation, which they described as "wholly unnecessary." The family also stated they repeatedly warned the police about the impact the investigation was having on Brandram's mental health, but the probe was not ended.
In 2017, police released CCTV footage of the incident and interviewed over 50 men, arresting three suspects, but no one was charged. The case was closed in 2018 before being reopened and leading to Brandram's arrest. 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.
Brandram was a grandson of Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark and a decorated former British Army captain. He was a director at HSBC's private bank before being suspended following his arrest. He was also rearrested for possession of Class A and Class B drugs after his initial arrest.