Sisters Accuse Police of Negligence in 'Putney Pusher' Case After Suspect's Death

The sisters of Nicholas Brandram, the suspect in the 2017 'Putney Pusher' incident, have accused the Metropolitan Police of negligence and recklessness in their handling of the investigation, which they believe led to his death.

Brandram, a 44-year-old private banker, was under suspicion of being the jogger who pushed a woman into the path of an oncoming bus on Putney Bridge in May 2017. His family has consistently maintained his innocence, stating that he took his own life due to the immense pressure of the investigation.

Alexia Hicks and Sophie Voelcker, Brandram's sisters, expressed their disappointment with the justice system and the police. They revealed that Brandram and his lawyer had offered to pay for a private DNA test two months prior to his death in an effort to expedite the process, but no result was available at the time of his passing.

"We put our faith in the justice system and our faith in the Met Police. We thought the police would just do their own DNA test," the sisters told Radio 4. "Presumably after three months it's not just a difficult test to do."

They claimed that the investigating officers were negligent and failed in their duty of care to Brandram and society. Mrs. Hicks, 40, described her brother's deteriorating mental state in the week leading up to his death, quoting him as saying the investigation was "murdering him, day by day."

Brandram had been released under investigation and was awaiting the results of police inquiries when he was found dead at his home on Tuesday, September 15. Following his arrest in June, police searched his Chiswick residence and rearrested him on suspicion of possessing Class A and Class B drugs.

Brandram, a grandson of Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark and a descendant of Queen Victoria, was a director at HSBC's private bank before being suspended after his arrest. His family has protested his innocence and directly blamed the Metropolitan Police for his death.

In a statement, the family asserted that there was no forensic evidence linking Brandram to the incident, nor evidence placing him on Putney Bridge at the time. They claimed the available evidence proved the opposite. The family also stated that the police chose to arrest Brandram rather than invite him for an interview, and that the subsequent release of information by the Met Police press team led to speculation and his identification in the media.

"For Nick, the consequences did not disappear. He was left for months carrying the stigma of an appalling allegation which the police themselves clearly recognised was unsupported by the evidence," the family statement read. "He lived with the shame, anxiety, humiliation and extraordinary pressure created by a wholly unnecessary investigation."

The family also highlighted that they repeatedly asked the police to end the investigation and warned about its impact on Brandram's mental health, stating that the investigation continued despite these concerns, ultimately leading to his death.

Chief Superintendent Dan Knowles, responsible for policing in southwest London, stated that the investigation "remains ongoing." He extended condolences to Brandram's family and friends, acknowledging the strain that police investigations can place on individuals. Knowles added that complex evidential and forensic work can take months to complete.

The Metropolitan Police have referred themselves to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC), a mandatory procedure when an individual dies following contact with the police. An IOPC spokesman confirmed they had received the referral.

Brandram, a decorated former British Army captain who served in Iraq, Bosnia, and Afghanistan, had been married twice and had a three-year-old child. In 2013, he was fined and received penalty points for driving without due care and attention and failing to stop after colliding with a cyclist in Hyde Park.

The incident on May 5, 2017, involved a woman walking on Putney Bridge who was shoved into the path of a bus. The driver managed to swerve, narrowly missing her. The jogger reportedly returned to the scene about 15 minutes later but did not stop when called out to by the victim.