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Family of 'Putney Pusher' suspect accuse Met of lying to 'rewrite history' after his death

From the Newshound archive · first published 20 September 2026 · last updated 21 September 2026.

Nicholas Brandram (left), the former HSBC private banker whose family say he was driven to take his own life after the Met told him a DNA result was the final remaining test in the Putney Pusher cold case.
Nicholas Brandram (left), the former HSBC private banker whose family say he was driven to take his own life after the Met told him a DNA result was the final remaining test in the Putney Pusher cold case.
Nicholas Brandram, whose family allege an email sent on 7 September from a detective constable to his lawyers stated only one "final" avenue of inquiry remained, contradicting the Met's public claims.
Nicholas Brandram, whose family allege an email sent on 7 September from a detective constable to his lawyers stated only one "final" avenue of inquiry remained, contradicting the Met's public claims.

The family of Nicholas Brandram, 44, a former army captain and descendant of Queen Victoria, have accused the Metropolitan Police of lying about the Putney Pusher case after his death. An email sent on September 7 from a detective constable to Brandram's lawyers stated there was only one "final" avenue of inquiry remaining — yet the Met publicly claimed multiple lines were still being pursued. His family say the final test was a DNA result that would have cleared his name, and insist he was "driven by the police" to take his own life after months of pressure.

Brandram, a former HSBC private banker, was found dead at his £1.4m Chiswick home on September 15 after being arrested in June over the 2017 Putney Bridge incident.

His family said: 'Either Nick was lied to while he was alive, or the public is being lied to now.'

Chief Superintendent Dan Knowles publicly maintained multiple lines of inquiry remained open, directly contradicting the detective's email to Brandram's legal team.

MoreDaily MailFamily of 'Putney Pusher' suspect say Met trying to 'rewrite history'The IndependentFamily of ‘Putney pusher’ suspect accuse police of trying to ‘rewrite history’The Independent‘Putney pusher’ suspect wanted to pay for DNA test to clear his name, say sistersEvening StandardPutney Pusher suspect's family accuse Met of lying and trying to 'rewrite history'
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