A 44-year-old London-based banker was arrested on Monday, June 15, in connection with the 2017 Putney Bridge incident in which a jogger was captured on CCTV pushing a woman into the path of an oncoming bus.
Following his arrest, he was also detained on suspicion of possessing Class A and Class B controlled substances before ultimately being “bailed pending further investigation in relation to all offenses.”
“Enquiries continue,” the Metropolitan Police said.
The suspect is reportedly a former army captain and is believed to have familial links to leading royal dynasties, including the British monarchy.
Wealthy financier connected to Britain’s elite faces renewed scrutiny over the notorious ‘Putney Pusher’ case
Image credits: Getty/Julian Finney
The victim in the case was never identified by name, but it was reported at the time of the incident that she was 33 years old.
Her alleged wrongdoer, meanwhile, based on his appearance in the blurry security camera footage, was also suspected to be in his 30s.
The woman was walking south from the Putney side of the bridge toward Fulham when a jogger running in the opposite direction pushed her into the road at about 7:40 a.m. on May 5.
Oliver Salbris, the bus driver, managed to swerve and miss the woman’s head by mere inches, while the jogger ran on without so much as sparing a backward glance.
About 15 minutes later, the jogger came back across the bridge and was confronted by the victim, who was being tended to by fellow pedestrians, but he ignored her and carried on running.
Images released by police of the runner wearing a grey T-shirt, dark blue shorts, and grey trainers prompted a widespread manhunt.
Detectives interviewed 50 men and arrested three suspects nearly a decade ago, but no one was ever charged.
Image credits: Unsplash (Not the actual photo)
The investigation was closed in 2018, and the latest arrest was made after new, undisclosed information came to light.
The suspect was described as having short brown hair, a stocky build, and wearing an outfit similar to his 2017 look.
Social media users questioned the events that led to the arrest while renewing calls for a firm legal response
“In a story like this, they need to explain what changed to get an arrest so many years later. The fact that they had wrongfully arrested three other people for the same crime makes me wonder how strong the current arrest is,” one expressed.
A second responded to the suspicion, writing, “Just a hunch, perhaps he lost his protection by angering a member of the royal family. So, the Metropolitan Police were given permission to arrest the person whom they knew all along.”
Image credits: Unsplash (Not the actual photo)
“Right! With all the CCTVs around London, I find it hard to believe they didn’t already know,” a third said in agreement.
“Let’s take into account that this person was confronted by the victim. Cops saying they exhausted all lines of inquiry suggests this was definitely a cover-up,” a fourth noted.
“What a monster,” a fifth simply labeled the jogger while asking about the “maximum penalty” for him.
“Do not let this beast get away without punishment,” another said.
The bus driver recently recounted how his rapid reaction behind the wheel helped save the woman’s life
Image credits: Unsplash (Not the actual photo)
Oliver Salbris spoke to the Daily Mail in April and said he would never forget the morning of the incident.
“I always think about the case. I still drive over Putney Bridge several times. Whenever I’m on the bridge, I look very carefully at the pedestrians on the pavement; I just can’t help it,” he said.
“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 centimeters from the bus and the wheel, even after I swerved to avoid her.”
Salbris’s actions blocked traffic in the lane for six to seven minutes.
“After the bus stopped, I got out, 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, she walked with her to contact the police.
“I remember the victim asking me, ‘What happened?’ and ‘Why me?’” Salbris said.
Image credits: Pexels
Public fascination with the case spawned a play called Once Upon a Bridge, written by Irish playwright Sonya Kelly in 2024.
It was performed at the OSO Arts Center in Barnes and reimagined the incident from the perspective of the three central characters: the jogger, the victim, and the bus driver.
“He tried to k*ll a woman and he is released on bail?” a netizen inquired
