The sisters of a man who died after being arrested on suspicion of pushing a woman in front of a bus in Putney have told the BBC their brother was innocent and that the Metropolitan Police showed “no urgency” to clear his name.
A death after months of pressure
Nicholas Brandram was found dead on Tuesday evening. His family said he took his own life after months of what they described as immense pressure caused by the investigation into the so-called “Putney pusher” case. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Brandram’s sisters Alexia Hicks and Sophie Voelcker said their brother’s mental health deteriorated sharply following his arrest.
The sisters accused the Metropolitan Police of being “negligent and reckless”, and questioned why officers had not carried out DNA tests that they believed could have proved his innocence. They said there was no urgency to clear his name while he was alive.
The wider context
The case has drawn significant public attention since a woman was pushed in front of a bus in Putney, southwest London. A man was arrested on suspicion of her murder, but he did not match the description that had been circulated publicly. That discrepancy has become central to the family’s criticism of the way the investigation was handled.
The Metropolitan Police have faced repeated questions about how they managed the suspect’s arrest and subsequent detention, and about the speed with which forensic evidence was pursued. The family’s account raises uncomfortable questions about whether the pressure on the suspect was disproportionate and whether the opportunity to exonerate him earlier was missed.
Why it matters
This story matters because it sits at the intersection of two serious issues: the investigation of a serious violent crime and the handling of a suspect whose mental health appears to have deteriorated under the strain of the process. The family’s public intervention, and their charge that the police were negligent, is a significant accusation that will need to be addressed. It also raises broader questions about how police manage suspects in high-profile cases, and how quickly they act on evidence that could exclude someone from an inquiry.
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For the Met, the case is a reminder that the way an investigation is conducted can have consequences far beyond the immediate criminal inquiry, particularly when a suspect dies before the investigation is resolved.
What happens next
The family’s interview on the Today programme is likely to increase pressure on the Metropolitan Police to account for their decisions. Whether the force offers a formal response, and whether any internal or external review takes place, will shape the next phase of this story. The inquest into Brandram’s death is also expected to examine the circumstances surrounding his arrest and his death in detail.
Source: BBC News
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