Putney Pusher Investigation Ongoing After Suspect's Death, Police Say
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Family Blame Police for 'Putney Pusher' Suspect's Death
The family of Nicholas Brandram have insisted he was not the so-called "Putney pusher" and have blamed the Metropolitan Police for his death.
The 44-year-old 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.
Brandram's family said he "took his own life after months of immense pressure caused by a Metropolitan Police investigation" and there was no forensic evidence linking the banker to the incident.
The Met said it recognised the "strain that being subject to a police investigation" could cause, and that a mandatory referral had been made to the police watchdog. The force said the investigation into the 2017 incident remained ongoing.
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In a statement, the family said there was "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."
Brandram was arrested in June this year on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm. Last week, the Met confirmed he had been released under investigation.
The banker was found dead in his home on Tuesday evening. The force said his death was being treated as "unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious".
An inquest into his death will open on Tuesday, the coroner's office said.
'Wholly unnecessary investigation'
The family said that police "chose to arrest Nick rather than invite him to attend for interview". They continued:
"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."
They stated that the consequences did not disappear for Brandram. He lived with "shame, anxiety, humiliation, and extraordinary pressure created by a wholly unnecessary investigation".
The family said the police were repeatedly asked to end their investigation and warned about the impact it was having on Brandram's mental health, adding: "Even then, the investigation was not brought to an end. As a result, Nick is dead."
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