The sisters of Nicholas Brandram, the man investigated as the suspected “Putney pusher,” have accused the Metropolitan Police of negligence following his death. Brandram, a 44-year-old private banker and former army officer, was found dead at his home on Tuesday evening, according to reports by BBC News, The Guardian. His family stated that he took his own life after enduring months of immense pressure from the ongoing police inquiry.
Putney Pusher Investigation Under Scrutiny After Suspect’s Death
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that a mandatory referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). In a statement reported by BBC News, the force acknowledged the strain that being subject to a police inquiry can place on individuals.
Family Claims and Discrepancies in the Investigation
Brandram’s sisters, Alexia Hicks and Sophie Voelcker, spoke on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, detailing multiple reasons why they believe their brother could not have been the individual caught on CCTV in May 2017. The original incident involved a jogger who pushed a woman headfirst into the path of an incoming bus on Putney Bridge in west London.
According to the sisters, their brother’s physical description and whereabouts did not match the profile of the suspect.
- Physical Attributes: Brandram had a withered leg resulting from an old army injury and a prominent military tattoo on his forearm.
- Eye Color: The victim reported that her attacker had brown eyes, but Brandram had blue eyes.
- Location: Brandram lived in Notting Hill, had no connection to Putney, and his family provided evidence indicating he was at his Bond Street office at the time of the attack.
Hicks and Voelcker told the BBC that their brother voluntarily provided a DNA sample early in the inquiry to expedite the process. However, they claimed that despite repeated pleas, police failed to provide the results for over two months. The family even offered to pay for a private DNA test to clear his name, but officers advised them against it, promising official results within four weeks.
Arrest and Subsequent Police Actions
Nicholas Brandram was arrested by the Metropolitan Police in June, leading to a search of his Chiswick home in west London. During the course of the investigation, he was rearrested on suspicion of possession of Class A and Class B drugs, specifically identified in reports as cocaine and cannabis. Prior to the investigation, Brandram worked as a private banker at HSBC and served as a director before being suspended following his arrest.
Speaking to The Guardian, Hicks described her brother’s deteriorating mental state in the days leading up to his death. She stated that he felt the ongoing scrutiny was destroying him day by day.
Metropolitan Police Response and Oversight
Following Brandram’s death, the Metropolitan Police initiated a mandatory referral to the police watchdog, the IOPC. The force reiterated its awareness of the psychological pressures associated with long-running criminal investigations.