Family of 'Putney Pusher' suspect accuses Met Police of contradicting itself

Relatives of Nicholas Brandram, who died under suspicion of being the Putney pusher, say a police statement directly contradicts what officers told him before his death.

'Rewriting history': Brandram family challenges Met over jogger investigation

The family of Nicholas Brandram, the 44-year-old who died while under suspicion of being the so-called "Putney pusher", have accused the Metropolitan Police of attempting to "rewrite history" over their handling of the case, The Independent reports.

Brandram's relatives said they were "shocked and appalled" by a police statement confirming that officers are still pursuing "multiple lines of enquiry" following his death. They say this directly contradicts the force's previous position, which held that only one "final" avenue remained to be resolved — a DNA test that, his family believes, would have cleared his name.

That test, which was never completed before Brandram's death, would have established whether he was a genetic match to a sample taken from the clothing of the woman pushed in front of a bus by a jogger on Putney Bridge in 2017.

Mr Brandram was found unresponsive at a property in Chiswick earlier this week. His family told the Sunday Times that detectives had informed him he had been "released under investigation now pending our final line of inquiry being completed", and that his lawyers had previously notified the force of his "deteriorating" mental health.

"The Metropolitan Police cannot be allowed to rewrite the history of what happened now that Nick is no longer here to challenge them," his family said. "The emails exist — their own words are in black and white."

They added: "Nick was entitled to the truth while he was alive. His family and the public are entitled to the truth now that he is dead."

On Thursday, Chief Superintendent Dan Knowles issued a statement maintaining that investigative work into the Putney Bridge incident remained "ongoing". He said it had been "made clear" following Brandram's release under investigation that enquiries would continue while officers progressed outstanding lines of inquiry and forensic examinations.

"Investigations of this nature, particularly those involving complex evidential and forensic work, can take a number of months to complete as officers gather and assess all available evidence," Knowles said.

Brandram's family rejected that account outright. "Either Nick was lied to while he was alive, or the public is being lied to now. That is appalling in any case, but in the case of someone who was driven by the police to take their own life, it is unforgivable."

They called for the contradictions to be investigated "independently and in full".

The Metropolitan Police referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) following Brandram's death, which the force has confirmed is being treated as unexpected but not suspicious.

Earlier in the week, Brandram's sisters Alexia Hicks and Sophie Voelcker told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the Met had been "reckless" and "negligent" in their treatment of their brother. The siblings have maintained his innocence throughout, pointing to a military tattoo on his forearm that is not visible in CCTV footage recorded during the 2017 incident.

The Metropolitan Police declined to comment further.

--- If you are struggling with your mental health, the Samaritans can be reached at any time by calling 116 123.

Source: The Independent