The man who was arrested on suspicion of being the so-called ‘Putney pusher’ was found dead at his home after missing a family meal, an inquest has heard.
The man who was arrested on suspicion of being the so-called ‘Putney pusher’ was found dead at his home after missing a family meal, an inquest has heard.
Nicholas Brandram, 44, was arrested in June in connection with an incident on Putney Bridge in which a jogger shoved a woman headfirst into the path of an oncoming bus on May 5 2017.
The former banker was found unresponsive inside his West London home on Cranbrook Road, Chiswick, on September 15. Melanie Lee, area coroner for London West, opened and suspended an inquest into his death at West London Coroner’s Court on Tuesday afternoon.
Opening the inquest, the coroner said: “On the evening of Tuesday September 15 2026, Nicholas did not attend a family meal as planned.
“His brother-in-law attended Nicholas’s home address and gained access using a spare key provided by a neighbour. Upon searching the house, he found Nicholas in an upstairs room. Paramedics attended and despite resuscitation, he was pronounced deceased at 8.58pm.”
The coroner added that the death had not been considered suspicious and there was “no evidence of third-party involvement”. Ms Lee said provisional results from a post-mortem examination indicated his death was “due to ligature compression of the neck”.
The Metropolitan Police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over its contact with Mr Brandram, who was released under investigation following his arrest.
The force said on September 17 that its investigation into the Putney Bridge incident remains “ongoing” following the death of Mr Brandram.
Ms Lee said on Tuesday: “I have been informed this afternoon that a referral has been made to the IOPC. On that basis I am suspending the inquest.”
The coroner added that an “inquest is not a trial” and “nobody and no organisation is on trial”. Mr Brandram’s sisters, who were present at the inquest, previously accused police of failing him and wider society.
The coroner told his family: “I offer my sincere condolences for your loss. I appreciate today will not be an easy day for you”.
His family previously said they believed the 44-year-old took his own life following “months of immense pressure” caused by the Met Police’s investigation. In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Brandram’s sisters Alexia Hicks and Sophie Voelcker said he did not match the description of the attacker.
Ms Hicks said there had been “urgency” by the Met to arrest Mr Brandram and to have that reported in the press.
“I think he couldn’t understand why there wasn’t urgency to help clear his name,” she added.
– Call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org.
