The family of Nicholas Brandram have claimed he was not the “Putney Pusher” and said he “took his own life after months of immense pressure caused by a Metropolitan Police investigation”.
Millionaire banker Mr Brandram, 44, was found dead on Tuesday evening at his home in Chiswick in west London.
He had been detained on June 15 at his home on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm.
His arrest was part of the investigation into a notorious incident on May 5, 2017 when a jogger shoved a female pedestrian into the path of a double-decker bus on Putney Bridge.
The police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct said on Thursday that the Met has referred itself to them over its contact with Mr Brandram.
But it is understood the force is defending its investigation and the arrest as necessary and proportionate.
See also: The five pieces of 'evidence' dead Putney Pusher suspect's family claim prove he wasn't jogger
Mr Brandram was found unresponsive inside a property in the Chiswick area on Tuesday evening - believed to be the former banker’s west London home.
Scotland Yard did not name him as it pursued its investigation.
However, his family broke their silence on Thursday to deny his involvement in the incident and claimed the police had no forensic evidence linking him to it.
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.
“Despite that, the police chose to arrest Nick rather than invite him to attend for interview.
“They searched his home, and the Met Police press team then released information which inevitably led to speculation and Nick being identified in subsequent reporting.”
The family added: “For Nick, the consequences did not disappear.
“He was left for months carrying the stigma of an appalling allegation which the police themselves clearly recognised was unsupported by the evidence.
“He lived with the shame, anxiety, humiliation, and extraordinary pressure created by a wholly unnecessary investigation.”
They said the police were repeatedly asked to end their investigation and warned about the impact the investigation was having on Mr Brandram’s mental health, saying: “Even then, the investigation was not brought to an end.
“As a result, Nick is dead.”
In the statement, Mr Brandram’s family said that his lawyers “did the basic investigative work that should have been done by the Met Police”.
The statement said: “They pointed out that the published images of the man involved in the assault bore no resemblance to Nick: the victim had described the attacker as having brown eyes; Nick had distinctive blue eyes.
“Nick had a visibly wasted and disfigured calf dating back to his time serving with the Army, while the man shown in the footage did not. And Nick had a prominent forearm tattoo, which was not visible on the man in the images.”
The statement continued: “Nick made it clear he was keen to take part in an identification parade, but the police never organised one. He also provided email evidence sent from his office in the West End, demonstrating that he was not even on Putney Bridge when the assault happened.
“A previous suspect, also wrongly arrested, was cleared within days of providing an alibi. Nick was left on bail and remained under suspicion.
“The double standard is impossible to ignore. When the Met Police wanted to arrest Nick, there was urgency; when they wanted to search his home, there was urgency; when information about him reached the press, there was urgency. But when the evidence showed they had the wrong man, that urgency disappeared.”
Chief Superintendent Dan Knowles, in charge of policing for south west London, said: “Our thoughts are with Mr Brandram’s family and friends at this deeply distressing time. We recognise the significant impact his death will have on those who knew and loved him.
“We also understand the strain that being subject to a police investigation can place on individuals and their families.
"The investigation remains ongoing. Following Mr Brandram’s release under investigation, it was made clear that enquiries would continue while officers progressed outstanding lines of enquiry and forensic examinations. This remains the position, and further investigative work is ongoing.
"Investigations of this nature, particularly those involving complex evidential and forensic work, can take a number of months to complete as officers gather and assess all available evidence.
"As is required whenever a person dies following previous contact with police, a mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) on 16 September."
On Wednesday, the Met confirmed that a 44-year-old man was found unresponsive inside a property in the Chiswick area, on Tuesday evening, with his death being treated as “unexpected” but not suspicious.
A spokesperson for the force said: “At 7.12pm on Tuesday September 15, officers and the London Ambulance Service attended an address in Chiswick, Hounslow after a man was found unresponsive inside a property.
“Sadly, a 44-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin have been informed.
“At this time his death is being treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious.
“A file will be prepared for the coroner in due course.”
Police previously said a 44-year-old man had been released under investigation after being arrested in June this year over the incident where a runner was caught on camera suddenly pushing a woman as she passed him on Putney Bridge in south-west London.
The force said the man was additionally arrested on suspicion of possession of class A and class B drugs.
The jogger was filmed running past a man before lashing out at the female pedestrian on May 5 2017.
Bus driver Oliver Salbris managed to swerve to avoid crushing the woman, telling the Sunday Times: “If I hadn’t swerved, I would have smashed her head.
“It was reflex. The consequences would have been terrible for her – and for me.”
It was reported at the time that around 15 minutes after the push, the jogger came back the other way across the bridge, and ignored the victim when she tried to speak to him.
Detectives identified more than 50 people of interest in their investigation before closing the probe in 2018, saying that all lines of inquiry had been exhausted.
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