Man Arrested in 'Putney Pusher' Case Found Dead

Nicholas Brandram, 44, who was arrested in June on suspicion of being the 'Putney Pusher,' was found dead at his West London home on September 15, an inquest has heard. Brandram was arrested in connection with an incident on May 5, 2017, when a jogger shoved a woman into the path of an oncoming bus on Putney Bridge.

His brother-in-law discovered Brandram unresponsive in an upstairs room after he failed to appear for a planned family meal. Paramedics were called and pronounced him deceased at 8:58 p.m. after resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. The area coroner, Melanie Lee, stated that the death was not considered suspicious and there was no evidence of third-party involvement. Provisional post-mortem results indicated the cause of death was ligature compression of the neck.

The Metropolitan Police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) regarding its contact with Brandram. The force confirmed that its investigation into the Putney Bridge incident remains ongoing.

Brandram's sisters, Alexia Hicks and Sophie Voelcker, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that they believed he took his own life due to the pressure from the police investigation. They stated that their brother did not match the description of the attacker and accused the Metropolitan Police of an "urgency" to arrest and publicize his involvement, while failing to act with similar speed to clear his name.

The coroner informed the family at the inquest, "I offer my sincere condolences for your loss. I appreciate today will not be an easy day for you." She also reminded attendees that "an inquest is not a trial and nobody and no organisation is on trial."