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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.
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he → see → 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.
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woman → describe → jogger
The woman sustained only minor injuries after the quick-thinking bus driver managed to swerve around her.
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driver → sustain → her
Brandram, a former army captain, had been released but was still under investigation.
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Brandram → release → investigation
He was found dead at his £1.4million home in Chiswick, west London, on September 15.
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He → find → September
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.
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he → claim → 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.
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police → take → drugs
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.
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officers → suspend → inquiry
This remains the position, and further investigative work is ongoing.'
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work → remain → ?
The September 7 email, written by one of Knowles's own officers, appears to contradict this statement.
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email → write → 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.
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Nick → tell → them
The emails exist - their own words are in black and white.
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words → exist → black
After Brandram's death, the Met referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
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Met → refer → 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.
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that → accuse → 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.
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day → picture → weeks
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.'
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we → say → date
So it just was going on and on.
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it → go → ?
'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.
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what → understand → months
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.
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they → say → weeks
We promise you.
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We → promise → you
'And I think privately it wasn't that much difference in time.
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it → think → time
The sisters claimed the officers investigating their brother 'were negligent' and had 'failed Nick and society' in their duty of care.
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officers → claim → care
They added: 'We put faith into the system, the justice system.
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We → add → system
We put faith into the Metropolitan Police.
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We → put → Police
We wanted them to carry out their investigation because we're so sure that Nick is innocent.
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Nick → want → investigation
The police know he's innocent.
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he → know → ?
'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.
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they → think → brother
But we can't understand why they won't do that.'
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they → understand → that
In a separate interview, Mrs Hicks described Brandram's deteriorating mental health in the week before his death.
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Hicks → describe → death
'He said a couple of days ago that this investigation was murdering him.
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investigation → say → him
Day by day, he was slowly being murdered,' she told The Guardian through tears.
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she → murder → tears
The Aporia
