The man arrested on suspicion of being the so-called ‘Putney Pusher’ was found dead at his home after missing a family meal, an inquest has heard.
Nicholas Brandram, 44, was under suspicion of being the jogger who pushed a woman into the path of a bus during a run on Putney Bridge in west London in May 2017. He was arrested in June in connection with the incident but was bailed pending investigation. His family say his identity was shared online after his arrest.
The senior banker, a former army captain and descendant of Queen Victoria, was found dead at his home on Cranbrook Road in Chiswick, west London, on Tuesday. Melanie Lee, area coroner for London West, opened an inquest into his death at West London Coroner’s Court on Tuesday afternoon.
Inquest details
Opening the inquest, the coroner said: “On the evening of Tuesday September 15 2026, Nicholas did not attend a family meal as planned. His brother-in-law attended Nicholas’s home address and gained access using a spare key provided by a neighbour. Upon searching the house, he found Nicholas in an upstairs room. Paramedics attended and despite resuscitation, he was pronounced deceased at 8.58pm.”
The inquest was also suspended on Tuesday pending the outcome of a police watchdog investigation.
Family statement
Mr Brandram’s family say he was “driven by the police” to take his own life after “months of immense pressure” that followed his arrest in June. They insist he was innocent, giving five reasons which ‘evidence’ this, and claim the police failed to formally clear his name.
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.”
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.”
Police response
The Metropolitan Police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over its contact with Mr Brandram. The force said on September 17 that its investigation into the Putney Bridge incident remains “ongoing” following the death of Mr Brandram.
The coroner added that the death had not been considered suspicious and there was “no evidence of third-party involvement”. The coroner added that an “inquest is not a trial” and “nobody and no organisation is on trial”.
Mr Brandram’s sisters, who were present at the inquest, previously accused police of failing him and wider society. The coroner told his family: “I offer my sincere condolences for your loss. I appreciate today will not be an easy day for you”.
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