Met to investigate handling of ‘Putney pusher’ suspect’s case

The Metropolitan Police will investigate its handling of Nicholas Brandram’s case after the police watchdog said an inquiry was required following his death. Brandram had been suspected of being the jogger involved in the 2017 ‘Putney pusher’ incident. [1]

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards should conduct the investigation. It recommended examining whether his arrest was necessary and proportionate, the force’s engagement with the media, and how his welfare and relevant policy were considered. These are matters for investigation, not findings of misconduct. [1]

Brandram, 44, was found dead at his London home on 15 September, the BBC reported. He had been under suspicion of pushing a woman into the path of a bus on Putney Bridge in west London in May 2017.

His family told the BBC that he was not the person known as the ‘Putney pusher’. They said he took his own life after experiencing what they described as the “immense pressure” of the police investigation. The BBC report does not cite a coroner’s determination or independently establish that police actions caused his death. [1]

The watchdog’s decision followed a mandatory referral by the Met after Brandram’s death. Chief Superintendent Dan Knowles confirmed that the force’s professional standards directorate would carry out the investigation and acknowledged the strain that being subject to a police investigation could cause.

The IOPC said that if the Met’s investigation found no potential misconduct, the final report must be submitted to the watchdog for review. [1]