Nicholas Brandram, 44, who was arrested in connection with the Putney Bridge incident in May 2017, is found dead at his home in Chiswick, west London. An inquest into his death is suspended, and the Metropolitan Police has referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). The family insists he was not the person dubbed the “Putney pusher” and argues that police contact and investigation pressure contributed to his death.

Family members say they were subjected to urgency to arrest him and to public reporting, while they believe there was insufficient evidence linking him to the incident. They also maintain they provided information suggesting he did not match the attacker’s description, and some relatives describe his death as suicide following “months of immense pressure.” The inquest is suspended while the IOPC probe proceeds, and the coroner notes that an inquest is not a trial. Authorities state their investigation into the Putney Bridge incident remains ongoing.

Across outlets, the central disagreement focuses on responsibility: the family attributes harm to Met Police handling, while the police position is that the case remains under investigation and has been escalated for independent oversight. Reports also differ slightly in emphasis, such as attention to the alleged pressure, claims about evidence the family supplied, and the scope of the watchdog referral.