The Metropolitan Police has been told to investigate its own handling of Nicholas Brandram, the millionaire banker arrested over the unsolved “Putney Pusher” attack, after he was found dead at his home in west London.
The 44-year-old was found unresponsive at his home in Chiswick on September 15, prompting Scotland Yard to refer its previous contact with him to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The watchdog has now decided that the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards should carry out the investigation on its behalf.
An inquest into Brandram’s death has been suspended while the investigation takes place.
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Nicholas Brandram, arrested by police on suspicion of being the Putney Pusher, was found unresponsive at his home earlier this month
Family Welcomes Investigation
Brandram’s sisters, Alexia Hicks and Sophie Voelcker, who had previously accused police of failing their brother and wider society, welcomed the decision.
In a statement, the family said they had already raised “a litany of failings” that they expected to be examined.
They urged those conducting the inquiry to make it a priority and ensure it was “thorough, independent and unflinching in establishing what went wrong”.
The family said they wanted answers so that no other family would have to experience what they were going through.
The IOPC said its investigation should examine several aspects of the Met’s handling of the case.
These include whether Brandram’s arrest was necessary and proportionate, how officers engaged with the media and whether appropriate consideration was given to his welfare under relevant police policy.
The watchdog also said that if the Met investigation concludes there was no potential misconduct by officers, the force’s final report must be submitted to the IOPC for review.
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Nine years ago, police released dramatic CCTV footage of the moment this jogger appeared to push a woman into the path of an incoming bus on Putney Bridge
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The runner was seen appearing to push the victim into the path of the incoming vehicle, which swerved and missed her head by inches
Brandram Was Arrested Over 2017 Putney Bridge Attack
Brandram was arrested in June over an incident that occurred on May 5, 2017.
Dramatic CCTV footage released by police at the time appeared to show a jogger deliberately pushing a woman headfirst into the path of an approaching double-decker bus on Putney Bridge.
The bus swerved and narrowly avoided striking her.
The footage also appeared to show the jogger running back across the bridge shortly afterwards. He was confronted by the woman but continued on without stopping.
Brandram was arrested nine years later on suspicion of being the man captured in the footage.
At the time of his death, he had been released under investigation.
His family has consistently maintained that he was innocent and criticised the Met for failing to clear his name.
Scotland Yard said on September 17 that its investigation into the original Putney Bridge incident remained ongoing following Brandram’s death.
Inquest Hears How He Was Found
An inquest hearing on Tuesday heard that Brandram was discovered upstairs at his home after he failed to attend a family dinner.
Coroner Melanie Lee said Brandram had been expected at a family meal on September 15.
When he did not arrive, his brother-in-law went to the property and gained entry using a spare key provided by a neighbour.
He searched the house and found Brandram in an upstairs room.
Paramedics attended and attempted to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead at 8.58pm.
The coroner said the death was not considered suspicious and there was “no evidence of third-party involvement”.
Provisional post-mortem results indicated that his death was “due to ligature compression of the neck”.
Family Says He Was Under ‘Immense Pressure’
Brandram’s sisters have previously said they believed their brother had taken his own life after experiencing “months of immense pressure” linked to the police investigation.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Hicks and Voelcker also said they believed Brandram did not match the description of the man responsible for the Putney Bridge attack.
Hicks claimed there had been an “urgency” from the Met to arrest her brother and ensure that the arrest was reported in the press.
“I think he couldn’t understand why there wasn’t urgency to help clear his name,” she said.
The IOPC’s decision now means the Met’s handling of Brandram’s case will undergo a formal review, with the watchdog retaining oversight of the final report if no potential misconduct is identified.