A multi-millionaire banker descended from royalty who was arrested in the ‘Putney Pusher’ investigation has been released under investigation, police revealed today.
The 44-year-old suspect was detained on June 15 at his £1.4million home in west London as part of the nine-year hunt for the jogger on Putney Bridge.
He was arrested on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm over the incident when a pedestrian was shoved into the path of a double-decker bus in 2017.
Once in custody, drugs were allegedly found at his property and he was re-arrested for possession of Class A and Class B substances – said to be cocaine and cannabis.
He was later bailed, but detectives confirmed to the Daily Mail today that he has since been released under investigation while outstanding enquiries are being completed.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: ‘On Monday, June 15, 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 enquiries continue.’
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
The suspect has familial links to some of Europe’s leading 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 involves advising high-net-worth individuals and institutions.
The moment a male jogger pushed a female into the path of a bus on Putney Bridge went viral and garnered international headlines.
Detectives interviewed 50 men and arrested three suspects, including an American investment banker – who was able to prove that 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 was closed in 2018 before new information came to light – leading to the dramatic development in June which was first revealed by the Daily Mail.
The incident took place on the bridge during rush hour on May 5, 2017 at about 7.40am.
A woman was walking southwards when the jogger approached her from the opposite direction.
There was plenty of room on the footpath for him to skirt around her safely, but instead the man forcefully shoved her onto the road – directly in the path of an incoming 430 bus going at 12mph.
Another CCTV still 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 a hero for his quick reactions
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, passers-by rushed to help the shaken woman – who has never been publicly identified.
Then, incredibly, the jogger returned in the opposite direction about 15 minutes later, passing the victim again while she was still being assisted on the bridge. He ignored her calls to stop.
At the time, the suspect was described as a white man in his early to mid-30s, with a stocky build and short brown hair. He was wearing a grey T-shirt and dark blue shorts.
Despite the lack of progress in the police investigation, public fascination endured, 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 Centre in nearby Barnes.
The drama reimagined the incident from the perspectives of the three central figures – the jogger, the victim and the bus driver.
In April, Mr Salbris told the Mail that he would never forget what he saw.
‘I always think about the case and I still drive over Putney Bridge several times a day,’ he said. ‘Whenever I’m on the bridge, I look very carefully at the pedestrians on the pavement, I just can’t help it. I wouldn’t say it haunts me, but it’s not something I can easily forget.
‘I’m glad my reactions were quick on that day, or it would have ended very differently, both for me and the woman who was pushed. Her head was only a few centimetres from the bus and the wheel, even after I swerved to avoid her.’
Mr Salbris immediately brought the bus to a halt, blocking the bus lane on the busy commuter route for six or seven minutes.
‘After the bus stopped, I got out and spoke to her and gave her all my details in case she needed me as a witness with the police. A female passenger also got off and helped her, then I believe walked with her to contact the police.
‘I remember the victim asking me, ”What happened?” and ”Why? Why? Why?” She asked me ”Why me?”’





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