The Metropolitan Police should investigate itself over the arrest of Nicholas Brandram, the man the force suspected of being the so-called “Putney pusher” and who was found dead at his home earlier this month, the police watchdog has said.
Nicholas Brandram, 44, was 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 in May 2017. The former banker was found unresponsive inside his West London home on Cranbrook Road, Chiswick, on September 15.
IOPC decides on mandatory referral
The Met had referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over its contact with Mr Brandram, who was released under investigation following his arrest. The force said on September 17 that its investigation into the Putney Bridge incident remains “ongoing” following the death of Mr Brandram.
On Friday, the IOPC said: “We received a mandatory referral from the Metropolitan Police on 16 September relating to prior contact officers had with Nicholas Brandram, who was sadly declared deceased on 15 September.
“After carefully considering the referral, we have decided that an investigation is required and that the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards should conduct it.
“We have recommended the review considers matters including the necessity and proportionality of arrest, what engagement was there with the media and considerations made in relation to Mr Brandram’s welfare and the relevant policy.
“Should the investigation conclude without identifying any potential misconduct for any officer involved, the force’s final investigation report must be submitted to the IOPC for review, to ensure independent oversight.”
Family denies involvement, claims no forensic evidence
It comes as a statement released on behalf of his immediate family last week 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.”
Family says pressure led to death
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.”
