'He is innocent': Family of ‘Putney Pusher’ suspect blame police over banker's death
Relatives insist that the former British Army captain was not the man in question and have accused the police of demonstrating "double standards"
The family of the Putney Pusher suspect has blamed the Metropolitan Police for his death and stated the force caused "immense pressure" with their investigation causing him to take his own life.
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Relatives of Nicholas Brandram today issued a statement saying that the 44-year-old was innocent. It comes after he was found dead at his home in Chiswick, west London, on Wednesday.
The family have accused the Met of holding evidence that gave "every indication the investigation would end with no further action," but instead it continued.
They also accused the force of causing "shame, anxiety, humiliation, and extraordinary pressure" created by a "wholly unnecessary investigation".
In a statement on Thursday, they said: "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.
Read more: Millionaire banker arrested in Met probe into 'Putney Pusher' released under investigation
"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."
The Met referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) on Thursday afternoon and later issued a statement.
Chief Superintendent Dan Knowles, in charge of policing for South-West London, said: "Our thoughts are with Mr Brandram's family and friends at this deeply distressing time.
"We recognise the significant impact his death will have on those who knew and loved him. We also understand the strain that being subject to a police investigation can place on individuals and their families.
"The investigation remains ongoing. Following Mr Brandram's release under investigation, it was made clear that enquiries would continue while officers progressed outstanding lines of enquiry and forensic examinations.
"This remains the position, and further investigative work is ongoing.
"Investigations of this nature, particularly those involving complex evidential and forensic work, can take a number of months to complete as officers gather and assess all available evidence."
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.”
Mr Brandram was found dead at his home address on Wednesday after paramedics and police were called.
In the infamous Putney Pusher incident in 2017, a female pedestrian was approached by a male jogger coming from the opposite direction on Putney Bridge. He shoved her into the road, into the path of an oncoming 430 bus which narrowly avoided hitting her.
The lighting reactions of driver Oliver Salbris saved the woman's life, who swerved at the last second and missed her head by inches. The woman has never been publicly identified.
Mr Brandram was detained on June 15 at his home for attempted grievous bodily harm in relation to the incident.
Officers searched his house and subsequently rearrested him for possession of Class A and Class B drugs – believed to be cocaine and cannabis.
The family statement added: "They [police] pointed out that the published images of the man involved in the assault bore no resemblance to Nick: the victim had described the attacker as having brown eyes; Nick had distinctive blue eyes.
"Nick had a visibly wasted and disfigured calf dating back to his time serving with the Army, while the man shown in the footage did not. And Nick had a prominent forearm tattoo which was not visible on the man in the images.
"Nick made it clear he was keen to take part in an identification parade, but the police never organised one.
"He also provided email evidence sent from his office in the West End, demonstrating that he was not even on Putney Bridge when the assault happened.
"A previous suspect, also wrongly arrested, was cleared within days of providing an alibi, Nick was left on bail and remained under suspicion."
Mr Brandram's death was described by police as "unexpected" but not suspicious.
Around 50 men were questioned and three were and arrested, including an American investment banker who wasn’t in the country at the time.
However, no one was ever charged in connection.
Mr Brandman was a former captain in the British Army who served tours to Afghanistan, Iraq and Bosnia, and a descendant of Queen Victoria.
In 2013, he admitted to driving without due care and attention and to failing to stop after a road accident in which he hit a cyclist while a motorbike.
"This was not evidence that emerged months later; it was provided to the police within days of Nick’s arrest," the family continued.
"The Met Police had that evidence before them and gave every indication that the investigation would end with no further action.
"But it did not end. A DNA sample was recovered at the time of the assault; Nick provided his DNA for comparison three months ago but, to this day, the police have still not finalised the DNA analysis or provided any explanation for the delay, even though they know Nick is innocent from all the other evidence."
"The double standard is impossible to ignore. When the Met Police wanted to arrest Nick, there was urgency; when they wanted to search his home, there was urgency; when information about him reached the press, there was urgency," the statement continued.
"But when the evidence showed they had the wrong man, that urgency disappeared."
The family added: "We cannot claim to know everything that was in Nick’s mind when he died, but we know what this investigation did to him.
"We saw the strain, the humiliation, and the pressure he was living under; and the Met Police cannot say that they did not know - they had been warned, repeatedly and explicitly, about the damage being done to Nick.
"It is clear that the Met Police’s handling of this case materially contributed to the unbearable situation in which Nick found himself, and to his death.
"Nick was a proud veteran, a father, a son, a brother, an uncle, a friend, and a colleague. Since his arrest, and since his death, we have received message after message from people whose lives he touched.
"They speak of his kindness, his loyalty, his humour and the enormous affection people had for him, and that he had for others.
"We understand that policing is difficult, and we understand that investigations sometimes produce mistakes. But the power to arrest somebody, search their home, associate their name with a notorious crime, and expose them to public suspicion is an enormous one. It must be exercised with care, evidence, and basic humanity.
"And when the police discover that they have accused the wrong person, clearing that person’s name should be an urgent responsibility."
The family added: "The Met Police were quick to expose Nick to suspicion and painfully slow to remove it. They failed him. And Nick’s family will now live with the consequences of that failure for the rest of our lives.
"Those who knew Nick will remember him for everything that made him the wonderful man he was. We will love him, and miss him, every day.
"But grief does not remove the need for accountability. We will continue to demand answers about how an innocent man was put through this, why he was not cleared when the evidence showed he should have been, and what the Met Police will do to ensure that no other family has to endure what ours now must."
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