HSBC Director Found Dead Was Suspected 'Putney Pusher' Who Nearly Killed Woman in Unprovoked Attack

The man once suspected of being the 'Putney Pusher', the jogger who shoved a woman into the path of a London bus in 2017, has been found dead at his home in west London. He had never been charged.

Nicholas Brandram, a 44-year-old director in HSBC's private banking division and a former British Army captain, was found unresponsive at his property in Chiswick on the evening of Tuesday, 15 September.

The Metropolitan Police said officers and paramedics were called to the Chiswick address at about 7:12 p.m. on Tuesday, 15 September, after a man was found unresponsive, and that the 44-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. The force said his next of kin had been informed, that the death was being treated as unexpected and was not believed to be suspicious, and that a file would be prepared for the coroner.

How the 'Putney Pusher' Case Began

The case dates to the morning of 5 May 2017. At around 7:40 a.m., a 33-year-old woman was walking across Putney Bridge when a male jogger coming the other way thrust out his right hand and pushed her into the road. A number 430 double-decker bus was approaching. The driver swerved to avoid her. She was left with minor injuries, and passengers on the bus came to her aid.

About 15 minutes later, the same jogger ran back across the bridge. The woman tried to stop him. He passed without a word and continued north along the Thames.

The investigating officer at the time, Sergeant Mat Knowles, said: 'It was only due to the superb quick reactions of the bus driver that she was not hit by the vehicle.' The driver later said he had swerved on instinct, and that she could have been seriously hurt had he not reacted in time.

Police released CCTV of the incident that August, and it drew international attention. Officers reported a large public response, with people calling in about similar so-called 'jogger rage' incidents, yet the runner was never traced. Detectives interviewed more than 50 men and detained three, all of whom were released without charge. In June 2018 the force closed the inquiry, saying every line of enquiry had been exhausted. The case later inspired a stage play, Once Upon a Bridge, which retold the moment through the eyes of the victim, the jogger, and the driver.

A Banker Descended From Queen Victoria

Brandram was a descendant of Queen Victoria. He was the grandson of Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark, known in Britain as Lady Katherine Brandram, and his great-grandfather was King Constantine I of Greece. The late Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, was godfather to his father.

Educated at Newcastle University, he served about seven years with the Scots Guards, retiring as a captain after tours that included Iraq, Bosnia, and Afghanistan. He then moved into the City, working at the stockbroker Killik & Co and at Bank Leumi before joining HSBC, where he managed the assets of wealthy private clients. He was suspended by the bank after his arrest. His home in Chiswick is valued at about £1.4M ($1.9M).

A 'Putney Pusher' Inquiry Left Unresolved

The cold case was reopened in 2026 after what police described as new information. On 15 June, nine years after the attack, officers arrested Brandram at his home on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm over the 2017 incident. While he was in custody, he was further arrested on suspicion of possessing Class A and Class B drugs. He was bailed the same day.

Days before his death, the Metropolitan Police confirmed he had been released under investigation, meaning enquiries were continuing, but no charge had been brought. He had not been charged when he died.

With his death, the identity of the man captured in the original CCTV footage may never be established, unless further evidence comes to light. The woman at the centre of the case has never been publicly named.