A millionaire banker and former British Army officer has been arrested nine years after the infamous 'Putney Pusher' incident, where a jogger allegedly shoved a woman into the path of a bus on Putney Bridge.
The Arrest
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that a 44-year-old man has been taken into custody on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm. The arrest relates to an incident on May 5, 2017, when a woman was pushed into the path of a double-decker bus.
The suspect, who reportedly has ties to several European royal families and works as a director at a private bank, was arrested after a years-long investigation that had previously been closed.
The Incident
On May 5, 2017, at approximately 7:40 am, a jogger wearing grey pushed a 33-year-old woman onto the road on Putney Bridge. The bus driver, Oliver Salbris, managed to swerve at the last moment, narrowly avoiding hitting the woman. The jogger returned minutes later, ignoring the victim as she confronted him, before disappearing.
Shocking CCTV footage of the attack sparked a massive manhunt, but despite two arrests and questioning 50 suspects, the case was closed in June 2018 with no charges.
Renewed Interest
In April 2024, a play titled Once Upon a Bridge at the OSO Arts Centre in Barnes reignited public interest in the case. The renewed attention may have contributed to the breakthrough.
Hero Bus Driver
Oliver Salbris, hailed as a hero, told the Sunday Times in 2017: 'If I hadn't swerved, I would have smashed her head. It was reflex. The consequences would have been terrible for her – and for me.' He added that the jogger 'looked like he was doing it on purpose' and emphasized the need for him to be caught and prosecuted.
