The family of Nicholas Brandram have insisted he was not the “Putney pusher” in a damning statement claiming “immense pressure” caused by the police contributed to his death.
They said the 44-year-old was living with “shame, anxiety and humiliation” before he “took his own life” this week as a result of the Met Police’s investigation into the unsolved pushing of a woman into the path of a bus on Putney Bridge in 2017.
Mr Brandram was arrested on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm in connection with the case in June this year and released under investigation last week. He was found dead at his property in Chiswick, west London, on Tuesday.
His family have claimed there was no forensic evidence linking the banker to the crime.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has said the Met Police has referred itself to the police watchdog, and it was considering if further action was required.
In an extraordinary statement hitting out at police on Thursday, the family said: “There was no forensic evidence linking Nick to it, no evidence placing him on Putney Bridge at that time, and no credible evidence that he was the man shown in the footage. In fact, the evidence proved the opposite.
“Despite that, the police chose to arrest Nick rather than invite him to attend for interview. They searched his home and the Met Police press team then released information which inevitably led to speculation and Nick being identified in subsequent reporting.”
The family added: “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.
“He lived with the shame, anxiety, humiliation and extraordinary pressure created by a wholly unnecessary investigation.”
The family have also claimed that the figure in CCTV footage from the offence bore no resemblence to Mr Brandram, with the person captured without a tattoo on his arm and a disfigured calf. They also said Mr Brandram provided evidence of an email sent from his office in the West End at the time of the incident.
They said the police were repeatedly asked to end their investigation and were warned about the impact the investigation was having on Mr Brandram’s mental health, saying: “Even then, the investigation was not brought to an end. As a result, Nick is dead.”
The Met Police has been approached for comment by The Independent.
An IOPC spokesperson said: “We have received a mandatory referral from the Met Police relating to prior contact officers had with Nicholas Brandram, who was sadly found unresponsive and declared deceased on 15 September. We are currently assessing the referral before deciding whether further action is required from us.”
On Wednesday, the force said Mr Brandram’s death was being treated as “unexpected”, and was not believed to be suspicious. The force said it will prepare a file for the coroner in due course.
CCTV of the incident on Putney Bridge on 5 May 2017 showed a jogger forcefully shoving the female pedestrian with both of his hands into the path of a double-decker bus. Around 15 minutes later, he passed her as she was receiving help on the bridge and ignored her calls for him to stop.
At the time, police interviewed more than 50 men and arrested three suspects, but the case was closed in 2018, and no one was ever charged.
But on 15 June, Mr Brandram was arrested at his home in connection with the case.
The force then said: “A 44-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm. The arrest relates to an incident on May 5, 2017, where a woman was pushed into the path of a bus on Putney Bridge in Putney.”
Mr Brandram was a grandson of Princess Katherine of Greeceand Denmark, who was the great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria. He served as a British Army Captain in Iraq, Bosnia and Afghanistan, and was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
In an interview in Citywealth in March this year, he said he was a co-parenting single father with a three-year-old son.
An inquest into Mr Brandram’s death is due to be opened at West London Coroner’s Court next Tuesday.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI) or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
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