Family of 'Putney Pusher' suspect accuse Met Police of trying to 'rewrite history' after he took his own life following 'negligent' handling of case

The family of the man suspected of being the 'Putney pusher' have accused the Met Police of trying to 'rewrite history' after he took his own life following 'negligent' handling of the case. 

Relatives of Nicholas Brandram, 44, described being 'shocked and appalled' that Scotland Yard claimed they were still pursuing multiple lines of inquiry - despite a detective recently stating there was just one 'final' avenue left to be resolved.

Brandram's mother and sisters believe this was the result of a DNA test, which they insist would have proved his innocence. 

The suspect, who was descended from Queen Victoria, was arrested in June over the incident in 2017, which saw a woman shoved into the path of a double-decker bus on Putney Bridge, south-west London, by a jogger.

The woman sustained only minor injuries after the quick-thinking bus driver managed to swerve around her. 

Brandram, a former army captain, had been released but was still under investigation. He was found dead at his £1.4million home in Chiswick, west London, on September 15. 

His relatives claimed he was 'driven by the police' to end his life after 'months of immense pressure' following his arrest on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm.   

Nicholas Brandram, 44, took his own life after being arrested in June over the incident in Putney 

Nine years ago, police released dramatic CCTV footage of the moment this jogger appeared to push a woman into the path of an incoming bus on Putney Bridge 

After the arrest, police searched his home and subsequently rearrested him for possession of Class A and Class B drugs – believed to be cocaine and cannabis. 

Brandram – a grandson of Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark, who was the great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria – was a director at HSBC's private bank before being suspended after his arrest.

His family said that an email, sent on September 7 from a detective constable to Brandram's legal representatives, said he had been 'released under investigation now pending our final line of inquiry being completed'. 

But Chief Superintendent Dan Knowles said this week: 'Following Mr Brandram's release under investigation, it was made clear that inquiries would continue while officers progressed outstanding lines of inquiry and forensic examinations. This remains the position, and further investigative work is ongoing.'

The September 7 email, written by one of Knowles's own officers, appears to contradict this statement. 

In a statement, Brandram's family told The Sunday Times: 'The Metropolitan Police cannot be allowed to rewrite the history of what happened now that Nick is no longer here to challenge them. The emails exist - their own words are in black and white.

'Nick was entitled to the truth while he was alive. His family and the public are entitled to the truth now that he is dead.'

After Brandram's death, the Met referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.   

His sisters Alexia Hicks, 40, and Sophie Voelcker, 45, previously accused the police of dragging out the process that could have proved their brother's innocence. 

Brandram's sisters Alexia Hicks, 40, (pictured) and Sophie Voelcker, 45, previously said their family had put 'faith in the justice system' but felt let down 

Mrs Voelcker, 45, during an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme 

They claimed that Brandram had offered to 'pay to have it [a DNA test] done privately' two months ago to speed up the process, but officers told him not to because 'they will have the results within four weeks'.

They said: 'His mental state had deteriorated so much that every day was becoming difficult.

'And the problem is, one of the officers said that the DNA test results are "any day now" – and then only a couple of days, I believe, before his death, he said: 'Actually, we can't even give you a date any more.' So it just was going on and on.

'We cannot understand – and it is really adding to our heartache – that the police still will not just carry out what, presumably after three months, is just not a difficult test.

'What is heartbreaking is [that] about two months ago, Nick and his lawyer said "look, we will pay to have it done privately" to sort of speed up the process, and they said: "No, no, no, they will have the results within four weeks. We promise you."

'And I think privately it wasn't that much difference in time. Over two months later, there's still no result.'

The sisters claimed the officers investigating their brother 'were negligent' and had 'failed Nick and society' in their duty of care.

They added: 'We put faith into the system, the justice system. We put faith into the Metropolitan Police. We wanted them to carry out their investigation because we're so sure that Nick is innocent. Nick was sure he was innocent. The police know he's innocent.

'Therefore, we thought, we don't need to pay for a DNA test – surely the police will just conduct their own test, they'll release the [no further action] letter, as they kept assuring my brother. But we can't understand why they won't do that.'

In a separate interview, Mrs Hicks described Brandram's deteriorating mental health in the week before his death.

'He said a couple of days ago that this investigation was murdering him. Day by day, he was slowly being murdered,' she told The Guardian through tears.