An inquest has formally opened into the death of Nicholas Brandram, the 44-year-old banker who was under police investigation over the 2017 Putney Bridge incident.

West London Coroner's Court was told that Mr Brandram was found dead at his home in Chiswick on 15 September after he failed to turn up for a planned family meal.

When he did not appear, his brother-in-law went to the property to check on him. The court heard that he used a spare key provided by a neighbour to gain entry and discovered the married banker in an upstairs room.

Paramedics attended the Chiswick address shortly afterwards, but despite their resuscitation efforts, Mr Brandram was pronounced dead just before 21:00 BST. The inquest heard that police do not regard the death as suspicious and do not believe there was any third-party involvement.

To understand how we reached this point, you have to look back at the police inquiry that began earlier this summer. Mr Brandram had been arrested in June on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm in connection with a high-profile case dating back to May 2017.

In that 2017 incident, a woman was knocked into the road and straight into the path of an oncoming bus on Putney Bridge by a jogger who ran past her. The individual became widely referred to in media coverage as the 'Putney Pusher'.

Mr Brandram's family have maintained throughout that he was entirely innocent of the allegation. They have insisted that he was not involved in the incident, was not the jogger in question, and noted that there was no forensic evidence linking him to what happened on the bridge.

Following his death, his relatives blamed the Metropolitan Police's handling of the investigation for what happened. The family stated last week that Mr Brandram "took his own life after months of immense pressure caused by a Metropolitan Police investigation".

For its part, the Metropolitan Police acknowledged the impact that such inquiries have on suspects. In a statement addressing the situation, the force said it recognised the "strain that being subject to a police investigation" could cause.

At the opening hearing in Fulham, West London coroner Melanie Lee offered her "sincere condolences" to Mr Brandram's family, noting in particular his sisters, Sophie Voelcker and Alexia Hicks, who attended the court.

Coroner Melanie Lee confirmed that she had been notified of a referral regarding the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). As a result, she suspended the inquest proceedings pending the conclusion of the police watchdog's inquiry.

What we do not know yet is the timeline for that IOPC investigation or what its detailed findings will show regarding the police's actions. Once that inquiry concludes, the coroner will resume the inquest to examine the full circumstances. I'll be following this one — check back for updates.