A multi-millionaire banker descended from the royal family who was arrested in the ‘Putney Pusher’ investigation has been released under investigation, police said today.
The 44-year-old suspect was arrested at his £1.4 million West West home on June 15. London as part of the nine-year hunt for the Putney Bridge jogger.
He was arrested on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm following the incident when a woman was pushed into the path of a double-decker bus in 2017.
Once in custody, drugs were reportedly found on his property and he was rearrested for possession of Class A and Class B substances – allegedly cocaine and cannabis.
He was later released on bail, but detectives confirmed to the Daily Mail today that he has since been released under investigation while outstanding investigations are completed.
The suspect has family ties to some of Europe’s most important royal dynasties, including the House of Windsor.
He is a decorated former British Army officer who served in several major conflicts before embarking on a successful career in the city. His role consists of advising wealthy individuals and institutions.
Nine years ago, police released dramatic CCTV footage of the moment this jogger appeared to push a woman into the path of an oncoming bus on Putney Bridge in south-west London.
The jogger approaches the pedestrian during the morning rush hour on Putney Bridge
The jogger pushes the victim into the path of the oncoming bus before the driver swerves
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: ‘On Monday 15 June, a 44-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm. The arrest relates to an incident on May 5, 2017, where a woman was pushed into the path of a bus on Putney Bridge in Putney.
‘Once in police custody he was also arrested on suspicion of possession of class A and class B drugs. He has since been released under investigation while investigations continue.”
The moment a male jogger pushed a woman into the path of a bus on Putney Bridge went viral and made international headlines.
Detectives interrogated fifty men and arrested three suspects, including an American investment banker – who was able to prove he was in the US at the time. No suspect was ever charged and the case became one of Britain’s most compelling unsolved cases.
The investigation closed in 2018 before any new information came to light – leading to the dramatic development in June first revealed by the Daily Mail.
The incident occurred on the bridge during rush hour on May 5, 2017 at approximately 7:40 am. A woman was walking south when the jogger approached her from the opposite direction.
There was enough space on the footpath for him to run around her safely, but instead he pushed her onto the road – directly into the path of an oncoming 430 bus traveling at 12mph.
Another CCTV footage of the ‘Putney Pusher’ on the day of the incident on May 5, 2017
The bus driver that day was Oliver Salbris, who was hailed as a hero for his quick responses
Thanks to the lightning reactions of the driver, Oliver Salbris, the bus missed the 33-year-old victim’s head by inches, and she survived largely physically unscathed. The jogger continued his run across Putney Bridge without so much as a backward glance.
After the vehicle stopped, passersby rushed to help the shocked woman – who has never been publicly identified.
Then, incredibly, the jogger returned in the opposite direction about 15 minutes later, passing the victim again as she was still being helped onto the bridge. He ignored her calls to stop.
At the time, the suspect was described as a white male in his early to mid-30s, with a stocky build and short brown hair. He was wearing a gray T-shirt and dark blue shorts.
Despite the lack of progress in the police investigation, public fascination persisted, and in 2024 the case inspired a play called Once Upon a Bridge, written by Irish playwright Sonya Kelly and performed at the OSO Arts Center in nearby Barnes.
The drama reinterpreted the incident from the perspective of its three central figures: the jogger, the victim and the bus driver.
In April, Mr Salbris told the Mail he would never forget what he saw. “I always think about the case and still drive over Putney Bridge several times a day,” he said. ‘When I’m on the bridge, I look very closely at the pedestrians on the sidewalk, I just can’t do anything about it. I wouldn’t say it haunts me, but it’s not something I can easily forget.
‘I’m glad I reacted quickly that day, otherwise things would have ended very differently, both for me and for the woman who was pushed. Her head was just inches from the bus and steering wheel, even after I swerved to avoid her.”
Mr Salbris immediately stopped the bus and blocked the bus lane on the busy commuter route for six to seven minutes.
‘After the bus stopped, I got off, spoke to her and gave her all my details in case she needed me as a witness to the police. A female passenger also got out and helped her, after which I believe she walked with her to contact the police.
“I remember the victim asking me, ‘What happened?’ and ‘Why?’ Why? Why?” She asked me ”Why me?”
