Sisters say Met Police 'negligent' in 'Putney pusher' probe

The sisters of Nicholas Brandram, who was suspected of being the 'Putney pusher', have told the BBC that the Metropolitan Police acted negligently and recklessly during their investigation. Brandram was suspected of pushing a woman into the path of a bus on Putney Bridge in May 2017. His family stated that he was innocent and died by suicide after enduring prolonged pressure from the investigation.

Family's claims of police failings

Alexia Hicks and Sophie Volker, Brandram's sisters, spoke to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, detailing their brother's declining mental health. They said he was aware of online speculation identifying him as the attacker. "He was reading everything that was online. Because he was still guilty online," they stated. The sisters expressed that Brandram struggled to comprehend why the police were not as urgent in clearing his name as they were in arresting him.

The Metropolitan Police acknowledged the strain that police investigations can cause and confirmed a mandatory referral had been made to the police watchdog. The force stated that the investigation into the 2017 incident remains active. In relation to the sisters' comments, the Met indicated it had no further remarks.

Brandram, a 44-year-old banker, was arrested in June on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm. The Met confirmed last week that he had been released under investigation. He was found dead at his home on Tuesday evening. The police described his death as unexpected but not suspicious.

Discrepancies in suspect description

Hicks and Volker told the BBC that it was "ridiculous" for Brandram to have been formally suspected, citing evidence that he did not match the attacker's description. They provided details including Brandram's withered leg, a result of an army injury, and his clear blue eyes, contrasting with the attacker's reported brown eyes. They also noted a prominent military tattoo on his forearm that would have been visible on the runner, who was wearing a T-shirt.

The sisters also stated that Brandram lived in Notting Hill, had no connection to Putney, and that they possessed evidence suggesting he was at his Bond Street office during the time of the attack. They described the allegation against him as either "malicious or mistaken."

Paying tribute to their brother, they remembered him as warm, enthusiastic, and charming. "He was a gentleman," they said. "He was our very, very, very loved brother and uncle, father, son. He was a real family man and we've always been a very close family and didn't deserve any of this happening to him."

Next steps

The Metropolitan Police has made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) regarding the case. The investigation into the 2017 Putney Bridge incident is continuing.