Investigation Into Police Handling
Putney Pusher suspect Nicholas Brandram found dead at his London home.
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Key Points
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The coroner said the inquest was not a trial and that “nobody and no organisation is on trial.”
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The Putney Bridge investigation had previously been wound down in 2018 for lack of viable leads, after detectives interviewed 50 men and arrested three suspects; no one was charged.
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The Sun reported that Brandram was also arrested while in custody on suspicion of possessing Class A and B drugs, believed to be cocaine and cannabis.
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According to the Sun, Brandram was arrested after a separation from his second wife, and police were reportedly contacted by someone close to his estranged wife with information about the bridge incident.
Nicholas Brandram, a 44-year-old banker, was found dead at his Chiswick home on September 15 after missing a family meal. Head Topics reports he had been arrested in June on suspicion of being the "Putney pusher"—the jogger who pushed a woman into traffic on Putney Bridge in 2017—but was released under investigation and never charged. A coroner ruled the death was not suspicious, with preliminary findings pointing to ligature compression of the neck.
The police watchdog has now ordered the Metropolitan Police to investigate its own handling of the case, including Brandram's arrest, media contact, and consideration of his welfare. Yahoo News UK reports the Met's broader inquiry into the bridge incident remains open. Brandram's family insists he was innocent and says the police pressure destroyed his mental health.
A Cold Case That Never Warmed Up
The Putney Bridge incident occurred in 2017 when an unknown jogger pushed a woman into oncoming traffic. Detectives spent years chasing leads. They interviewed 50 men and arrested three suspects, but charged none of them. By 2018, the investigation had been wound down due to lack of viable evidence.
The case went dormant for years until June, when Brandram was suddenly arrested. He was released under investigation immediately after. The arrest came after someone close to his estranged wife—whom he had recently separated from—contacted police with information about the bridge incident, The Sun has reported.
Dual Arrest and Drug Allegations Pile Pressure
During his June custody, Brandram faced a second arrest on suspicion of possessing Class A and B drugs—believed to be cocaine and cannabis, according to The Sun. Two arrests in one day meant mounting legal jeopardy. The combination of the Putney Bridge accusation and drug charges created enormous psychological stress on the banker.
Brandram was freed under investigation on both matters and never charged. His family later argued that the arrest, the media attention, and the open investigation shattered his mental state. They maintained his innocence throughout.
Watchdog Orders Met to Review Its Own Actions
The police watchdog has directed the Metropolitan Police's professional standards unit to investigate how the force handled the arrest. Key areas include whether the arrest was justified, how the media was briefed, and whether officers properly considered Brandram's welfare during custody and after release.
Yahoo News UK reports the coroner emphasized that the inquest is "not a trial" and "nobody and no organisation is on trial." However, the watchdog's decision signals serious questions about whether the Met's actions contributed to Brandram's death. The inquest has been suspended pending full post-mortem results.
The Putney Pusher Case Remains Unsolved
Despite Brandram's death, the Metropolitan Police says its inquiry into the original 2017 Putney Bridge incident continues. No one has ever been charged in connection with the push. The case now sits in limbo—the prime suspect dead, and the jogger who pushed the woman still unknown.
Brandram's death has cast a shadow over the investigation. His family's insistence on his innocence, combined with the watchdog's probe into police conduct, raises hard questions about the balance between pursuing suspects and protecting their welfare when charges never materialize.
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