A millionaire banker and former British Army officer has been re-arrested on suspicion of possessing Class A and Class B drugs after police searching his £1.4m west London home found the substances. The 44-year-old had been detained on Monday over the 2017 'Putney Pusher' attack, in which a jogger allegedly shoved a 33-year-old woman into the path of a double-decker bus on Putney Bridge.
CCTV footage from the Number 430 bus, travelling at 12mph, showed the runner appear to push the pedestrian into the road at about 7.40am on 5 May 2017. The driver, Oliver Salbris, swerved within inches of her head. 'If I hadn't swerved, I would have smashed her head. It was reflex. The consequences would have been terrible,' he said. The woman suffered minor injuries, and about 15 minutes later she confronted the jogger as he ran back across the bridge, but 'he did not acknowledge her', police said.
“Millionaire banker arrested over 2017 'Putney Pusher' attack re-bailed after drugs found at his London home.”
A nationwide manhunt followed, with police releasing images of a grey T-shirt and dark blue shorts. Detectives interviewed 50 men and arrested three suspects, all later released without charge. The investigation was closed in 2018 after all lines of inquiry were exhausted. 'It was only due to the superb quick reactions of the bus driver that she was not hit by the vehicle,' Sgt Mat Knowles said at the time.
But after significant new information emerged in recent months, police arrested the man at his home on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm. Once in custody, he was further arrested over the drug allegations, the Metropolitan Police said. The suspect, a director at a private bank and a decorated Army captain, reportedly has familial links to several European royal families, including the British monarchy.
A Met Police spokesman confirmed: 'He has since been bailed pending further investigation in relation to all offences. Enquiries continue.'