The Metropolitan Police are set to investigate their handling of the case involving Nicholas Brandram, a man who was suspected of being the so-called “Putney Pusher” and was found dead at his home in Chiswick, West London, earlier this month. Brandram, 44, a former banker and Army captain, was arrested in June on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm in connection with a May 2017 incident on Putney Bridge. During that incident, a jogger pushed a 33-year-old woman into the path of a Number 430 bus; the driver swerved to narrowly avoid hitting her. The original police investigation into the attack was wound down in 2018, and the case remained unsolved until Brandram’s arrest.

After Brandram was found dead at his home on September 15, the Metropolitan Police made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). The watchdog has since recommended that the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards conduct a formal review of the force’s handling of the investigation and arrest. Key areas to be examined include the necessity and proportionality of Brandram’s arrest, engagement with the media, and considerations around his welfare throughout the process. The IOPC has stated that if no misconduct is found, the final report must still be submitted for its independent oversight.

Brandram’s family has been vocal in expressing their belief that he was innocent and that the police’s actions caused him great distress. They say there was no forensic evidence linking him to the attack, no credible proof placing him at Putney Bridge at the relevant time, and no indication that he matched the description of the jogger seen on CCTV footage. His sisters, Alexia Hicks and Sophie Voelcker, have called for a thorough and unflinching inquiry into the police’s handling of the case, emphasizing the need to ensure that no other families endure similar anguish.

In interviews, the family has also criticized what they described as the Met’s urgent focus on arresting Brandram and its willingness to publicize the case before his name was cleared. They suggest that the pressure from the ongoing investigation contributed significantly to Brandram’s mental health struggles and eventual death.

The Metropolitan Police had initially referred itself to the IOPC over its contact with Brandram, acknowledging concerns about how the case was managed. The renewed scrutiny seeks to assess the appropriateness of police actions during the investigation and the impact on Brandram’s welfare, underscoring wider questions about police procedures in similar cases. The inquest into Brandram’s death was opened and adjourned recently, with his family continuing to advocate for accountability.