The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has stated that the Metropolitan Police should investigate itself regarding the arrest of Nicholas Brandram, a banker suspected of being the 'Putney Pusher', who was found dead at his home on September 15, 2026. Brandram, 44, was discovered unresponsive in Chiswick, west London. Scotland Yard referred itself to the IOPC concerning its contact with Brandram prior to his death.
The IOPC has determined that the Metropolitan Police should conduct the inquiry, with an inquest into Brandram's death suspended pending the investigation's outcome. Brandram's sisters, Alexia Hicks and Sophie Voelcker, who have previously accused the police of failing their brother and society, welcomed the investigation and urged that it be prioritized.
In their statement, they expressed their expectation for a thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding their brother's case. The IOPC has instructed the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards to carry out the investigation.
Brandram was arrested in June 2026 in connection with an incident that occurred on May 5, 2017, where a jogger pushed a woman into the path of an oncoming bus on Putney Bridge. At the time of his death, he had been released under investigation.
An IOPC spokesman confirmed that they received a mandatory referral from the Metropolitan Police on September 16 regarding prior contact with Brandram. The spokesman stated that the investigation should assess the necessity and proportionality of the arrest, media engagement, and whether Brandram's welfare was adequately considered. If the investigation finds no misconduct by the involved officers, the final report must be submitted to the IOPC for independent review.
Brandram's family has maintained his innocence and criticized the police for not clearing his name. An inquest revealed that he was found by his brother-in-law after missing a family dinner. Coroner Melanie Lee reported that Brandram was pronounced dead at 8:58 PM, and the death was not considered suspicious, with provisional post-mortem results indicating it was due to ligature compression of the neck.
Scotland Yard stated that its investigation into the Putney Bridge incident remains ongoing following Brandram's death. The coroner extended condolences to Brandram's family, who have suggested that he may have taken his own life due to pressure from the police investigation. In a recent BBC Radio 4 interview, his sisters noted that he did not fit the description of the attacker and criticized the urgency of the police's actions.
The police had previously released CCTV footage of the incident in which the jogger appeared to push the victim into the path of an oncoming bus.