The case became known as the Putney Pusher, and what was a police mystery for almost a decade has ended in a tragic conclusion. In 2017, street security cameras recorded a runner crossing the Putney Bridge, west London. Without any reason or provocation, the man pushed a woman he encountered onto the roadway. Only the quick reflexes of the bus driver passing by at that moment prevented the vehicle from running over the pedestrian’s head, saving her life.
For years the runner’s identity was unknown, but the images of the incident went viral and the police finally arrested a suspect in June this year: Nicholas Brandram, 44, war veteran and banker. After starting an investigation and detaining him for questioning, Brandram was released. This Wednesday, the man’s body was found in his home in the Chiswick neighborhood.
The police admit that the death was “sudden” but are not currently treating it as a “suspicious incident.” “Unfortunately, a 44-year-old man was declared dead at the scene. His family has been informed,” authorities said in a brief statement.
The story attracted public interest for many reasons. Not only because of the cruelty of that unexpected push, which nearly killed the woman, but also because the police were unable to find the attacker in a city of 12 million inhabitants, demonstrating the anonymous coldness of a metropolis like London.
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Up to 50 people were questioned, and three men were arrested and released without charges. The Metropolitan Police of London closed the investigation in 2018, until the viral nature of the incident’s images prompted its reopening.
It should also be added that, once the suspect was identified, he was found to be related to the British royal family. Brandram was a direct descendant of Queen Victoria; his great-grandfather was King Constantine I of Greece, and his grandmother was Princess Katherine of Greece. Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was the godfather of his father. Brandram would also be, therefore, a distant relative of Queen Sofia of Spain, niece of Princess Katherine of Greece.
The suspect had served as a captain in the Scottish Guard and had participated in the Afghanistan war. After leaving the military career, he began working in the finance sector, at HSBC bank.
