The family of Nicholas Brandram, the suspect in the 2017 Putney Pusher incident, has blamed the Metropolitan Police for his death, asserting his innocence.
Brandram, 44, was arrested in June in connection with the 2017 incident where a woman was pushed into the path of a bus on Putney Bridge. He had been released but remained under investigation. Police later searched his Chiswick home and rearrested him on suspicion of possessing Class A and Class B drugs. He was found dead at his home on Tuesday.
In a statement, his family claimed Brandram died by suicide due to 'months of immense pressure caused by a Metropolitan Police investigation.' They stated, "The Met Police knew he was not [the Putney Pusher]. And yet, when Nick died, they had still failed formally to clear his name. That is a source of profound grief and anger for our family."
The family further asserted that there was no forensic evidence linking Brandram to the incident, nor evidence placing him on Putney Bridge at the time. They contend that the available evidence proved the opposite, yet police arrested him rather than inviting him for an interview.
Brandram, a former British Army captain who served in Iraq, Bosnia, and Afghanistan, was a director at HSBC's private bank before his arrest. He is also a descendant of Queen Victoria, being a grandson of Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed that officers responded to a call at Brandram's property at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday. "Sadly, a 44-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene," the spokesperson said. "His next-of-kin have been informed. At this time his death is being treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious."
The original incident occurred during rush hour on May 5, 2017. CCTV footage showed a jogger pushing a woman into the path of an oncoming bus. The driver's quick reactions narrowly avoided a fatal collision. The jogger continued without stopping.
The investigation into the incident initially saw police interview 50 men and arrest three suspects, including an American investment banker who proved he was in the U.S. at the time. No charges were filed, and the investigation closed in 2018. However, new information led to Brandram's arrest in June 2023.
Brandram had a notable background, including military service for which he received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He also had a previous court appearance in 2013 for a road traffic offense involving a motorcycle collision and leaving the scene.
His family's statement emphasized the lack of evidence connecting him to the Putney Bridge incident and expressed anger that his name had not been formally cleared before his death.