Nicholas Brandram’s family said he took his own life after months of immense pressure caused by a Metropolitan Police investigation into the 2017 Putney Bridge incident.
Brandram was suspected of being the jogger who allegedly pushed a woman into the path of a bus while running on Putney Bridge in west London in 2017. He was under police investigation over the incident.
He was arrested in June this year on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm. The Metropolitan Police confirmed last week that he had been released under investigation.
Family denies allegation
Brandram’s family insisted that he was not the so-called “Putney pusher”. They said there was no forensic evidence linking him to the incident, no evidence placing him on Putney Bridge at the relevant time and no credible evidence that he was the man shown in the footage.
The family said police chose to arrest Brandram rather than invite him to attend an interview. They also said his home was searched and that information released by the Met’s press team led to speculation and his identification in subsequent reporting.
According to the family, Brandram was left for months carrying the stigma of what they described as an appalling allegation. They said he lived with shame, anxiety, humiliation and extraordinary pressure caused by what they called a wholly unnecessary investigation.
The family said they repeatedly asked police to end the investigation and warned about its impact on his mental health. They alleged that the investigation was not ended despite those warnings and attributed his death to its continuation.
Police response
Brandram was found dead at his home on Tuesday evening. The Metropolitan Police said his death was unexpected but was not believed to be suspicious.
Source: BBC News
