A millionaire banker has been arrested in connection with the 2017 Putney Pusher incident, nine years after a jogger shoved a female pedestrian into the path of a double-decker bus on Putney Bridge.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that a 44-year-old man was detained on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm at his £1.4 million home in west London on Monday, June 15. He remains in police custody. It is understood the suspect is a banker, and reports suggest he is a decorated former British Army officer who served in major conflicts, with some unconfirmed claims of familial links to royalty. Police described the arrest as a “significant line of inquiry” in a case that has become one of Britain’s most compelling unsolved mysteries.
The Incident
The attack unfolded at around 7.40am on May 5, 2017, as a 33-year-old woman walked across Putney Bridge. A jogger, described as a white man in his early to mid-30s with short brown hair, wearing a grey T-shirt and dark blue shorts, ran past her and deliberately pushed her into a busy traffic lane, directly into the path of an approaching double-decker bus. The shocking moment was captured on CCTV, which later went viral and sparked widespread outrage.
The woman was launched onto the road and lay on the ground as the 430 bus bore down on her. She escaped serious injury by inches thanks to the quick reflexes of the bus driver, Olivier Salbris, who swerved to avoid her. Her head came within centimetres of the vehicle’s wheel after he altered course. The jogger did not stop; he continued running after the push and, bizarrely, returned to the scene about 15 minutes later, running in the opposite direction. The victim attempted to confront him, calling for him to halt, but he completely ignored her and ran on.
Mr Salbris, who still drives the route over Putney Bridge several times a day, has spoken about the lasting impact of the incident. “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.” The case has also been the subject of a play titled Once Upon a Bridge, which explored the events and their aftermath.
The Investigation
The Metropolitan Police launched an extensive investigation immediately after the attack. Detectives interviewed around 50 men and arrested three suspects over the following months, including an American investment banker who was later released after proving he was in the United States at the time of the push. Despite the efforts, no suspect was ever charged Mr Salbris and the case was formally closed in June 2018 after all lines of inquiry were exhausted.
The investigation was reopened after new information came to light, leading to Monday’s arrest. The charge of attempted grievous bodily harm can carry significant penalties under English law. A Section 20 offence (without intent) carries a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, while a Section 18 offence (with intent) carries a maximum of life imprisonment. The distinction between recklessness and intent will be crucial in determining the court and potential sentence. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Inquiries continue.”
