Five pieces of ‘evidence’ family of Putney Pusher suspect say clear his name – as cops confirm probe into him is ongoing

THE family of the Putney Pusher suspect say five key pieces of evidence will clear his name as cops confirm a probe into him remains ongoing. Nicholas Brandram was tragically found dead at his home in Chiswick, West London, on Tuesday evening. Putney Pusher suspect Nicholas Brandram was found dead at his West London home Credit: Doug Seeburg Detectives interviewed 50 men and arrested three suspects Credit: Handout Police had pinned the 44-year-old as a prime suspect in the infamous Putney Pusher case that saw a woman shoved in front of a bus in a random attack. The family of the ex-army officer and descendant of Queen Victoria blamed his death on the investigation. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! He was arrested in June when the probe into the nearly 10-year-old Putney Bridge incident was relaunched after it was originally dropped in 2018. However, his family insist he was innocent of the crime and slammed the force for failing to “clear his name” before his death. Brandram’s furious family have today protested his innocence Credit: PA CCTV revealed a jogger had pushed a woman directly into the path of an on-coming bus Credit: Enterprise Mr Brandram’s family, who say they are holding the Met responsible for his death, have now said there are five pieces of key evidence that prove his innocence. They added that Mr Brandram’s lawyers did “the basic investigative work” that should have been done by the force. In a statement, they said: “There was no forensic evidence linking Nick to it, no evidence placing him on Putney Bridge at that time, and no credible evidence that he was the man shown in the footage. “In fact, the evidence proved the opposite.” Most read in The Sun The grieving family pointed out that CCTV images from Putney Bridge on the day of the attack show the eye colour of the attacker to be different from Mr Brandram’s. They said the man in the images “bore no resemblance to Nick”, as they listed off their evidence to prove his innocence. The family also explained that Mr Brandram had suffered a leg injury dating back to his time in the army which the man in the footage did not have. Another key piece of evidence the family say was missed by police was a forearm tattoo, which the man in the footage did not have. They said Mr Brandram had a “prominent forearm tattoo” which was “not visible on the man in the images.” And, despite Mr Brandram being willing to take part in an identification parade, the police never organised one, his family said. They also explained that emails sent from Mr Brandram’s office in the West End at the time of the attack prove he was not on the bridge when the incident unfolded. Issuing a statement in the wake of his death, the heartbroken family said: “The Met Police knew he was not [the Putney Pusher]. “And yet, when Nick died, they had still failed formally to clear his name. That is a source of profound grief and anger for our family. “There was no forensic evidence linking Nick to it, no evidence placing him on Putney Bridge at that time, and no credible evidence that he was the man shown in the footage. “In fact, the evidence proved the opposite. Despite that, the police chose to arrest Nick rather than invite him to attend for interview. “He lived with the shame, anxiety, humiliation and extraordinary pressure created by a wholly unnecessary investigation.” Detectives interviewed 50 men and arrested three suspects, including an American investment banker who wasn’t in the country at the time, after the incident. But no one was ever charged in connection with the attack, that saw a woman narrowly avoid being hit by a bus. The investigation was wound down in 2018 because of a lack of viable leads. Brandram’s arrest followed his separation from his second wife, with whom he had a young son. It is understood police were contacted by someone close to his estranged wife with information about the Putney Pusher. The banker was held on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm (GBH). While in custody he was further arrested on suspicion of possessing Class A and B drugs, believed to be cocaine and cannabis. He was bailed later the same day. The force has referred itself to the police watchdog over its contact with Mr Brandram. An IOPC spokesperson said: “We have received a mandatory referral from the Met Police relating to prior contact officers had with Nicholas Brandram, who was sadly found unresponsive and declared deceased on 15 September. “We are currently assessing the referral before deciding whether further action is required from us.” If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.