Man arrested in 'Putney pusher' case found dead

Nicholas Brandram, 44, who was arrested in June in connection with a 2017 incident on Putney Bridge, was found dead at his home in Chiswick, west London. He was discovered on the evening of September 15, 2026, after missing a planned family meal.

His brother-in-law found Mr Brandram unresponsive in an upstairs room after gaining access to the property with a spare key. Paramedics attended the scene but pronounced him deceased at 8.58pm despite resuscitation attempts. The death is not considered suspicious and there is no indication of third-party involvement, according to area coroner Melanie Lee.

Inquest suspended

Ms Lee opened and suspended an inquest into Mr Brandram's death at west London coroner’s court on Tuesday afternoon. Provisional post-mortem results indicate the cause of death was ligature compression of the neck. The coroner stated that an inquest is not a trial and no organisation is on trial.

The Metropolitan Police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) regarding its contact with Mr Brandram, who had been released under investigation following his arrest. The force confirmed on September 17 that its investigation into the Putney Bridge incident remains ongoing.

Family concerns

Mr Brandram's family believes he took his own life following months of significant pressure caused by the police investigation. His sisters, Alexia Hicks and Sophie Voelcker, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that they felt Mr Brandram did not match the description of the attacker. Ms Hicks commented that there had been an "urgency" by the Met to arrest Mr Brandram and publicise the arrest. She added, "I think he couldn’t understand why there wasn’t urgency to help clear his name."

The coroner offered her sincere condolences to the family, acknowledging the difficulty of the day.