A coroner has opened an inquest into the death of Nicholas Brandram, a 44-year-old banker who was a suspect in the 2017 “Putney Pusher” incident on Putney Bridge. The proceedings at West London Coroner’s Court were adjourned pending an investigation by the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC).
Brandram was found dead at his home in Chiswick on 15 September after failing to attend a family meal. His brother-in-law gained entry using a spare key provided by a neighbour and discovered him in an upstairs room. Despite resuscitation efforts by paramedics, he was pronounced dead shortly before 21:00 BST. Police confirmed they do not view the death as suspicious and there is no evidence of third-party involvement.
Coroner Melanie Lee expressed sincere condolences to Brandram’s family, particularly his sisters Sophie Voelcker and Alexia Hicks, who attended the hearing in Fulham. She noted that the inquest had been suspended due to a referral to the IOPC regarding the police conduct surrounding the original investigation.
Brandram had been arrested in June on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm related to the May 2017 event, during which a woman was pushed into the path of a bus by a jogger. However, his family maintains that he was not the individual responsible and stated that no forensic evidence linked him to the crime.
Speaking last week, Brandram’s relatives asserted that he “took his own life after months of immense pressure caused by a Metropolitan Police investigation.” They placed the blame for his death on the force’s handling of the case. The Metropolitan Police acknowledged the significant strain that being subject to a police investigation can impose on individuals.
Sad loss. I wonder if the investigation was even necessary for such weak evidence.
How do you sleep knowing the police made a man’s life unbearable over a mistake?
No forensic evidence? That seems like a huge oversight in such a high-profile case.
I hope the IOPC does a thorough job here. The family deserves answers.
Police pressure ruining lives again. Where is the accountability?
This is deeply tragic. A man is dead and we still don’t know the truth.