The family of Nicholas Brandram have insisted he was not the so-called “Putney pusher” and said he “took his own life after months of immense pressure caused by a Metropolitan Police investigation”.
Mr Brandram, 44, was found unresponsive inside a property in Chiswick, Hounslow, on Tuesday evening – believed to be the former banker’s west London home.
He had been arrested in June in connection with an incident on Putney Bridge in which a jogger shoved a woman headfirst into the path of an oncoming bus.
The force has referred itself to the police watchdog over its contact with Mr Bandram, who was released under investigation following his arrest following the incident on May 5 2017.
A statement released on behalf of his immediate family on Thursday said Nicholas had “took his own life after months of immense pressure caused by a Metropolitan Police investigation into whether he was the so-called ‘Putney Pusher’”.
His family denied his involvement in the incident and claimed the police had no forensic evidence linking him to it.
In a statement, they 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.”
They said the police were repeatedly asked to end their investigation and 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 previously said his death is being treated as “unexpected” but not suspicious.
Following the incident, the force confirmed a 44-year-old man had been released under investigation after being arrested in June after a jogger was filmed running past a man before lashing out at the female pedestrian.
Police added that he was additionally arrested on suspicion of possession of class A and class B drugs.
Bus driver Oliver Salbris told the Sunday Times if he had not swerved “I would have smashed her head”, adding: “The consequences would have been terrible for her – and for me.”
It was reported at the time that around 15 minutes after the push, the jogger came back the other way across the bridge, and ignored the victim when she tried to speak to him.
Detectives identified more than 50 people of interest in their investigation before closing the probe in 2018, saying all lines of inquiry had been exhausted.
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.”
The Metropolitan Police has been approached for comment.
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