Mystery over death of teen who jumped from balcony after posing as oligarch's son – parents say police missed evidence

THE parents of an oligarch-obsessed teenager who died after plunging into the Thames say police missed key evidence.

Zac Brettler, 19, collapsed on his dead from the fifth-floor balcony of a luxury riverside apartment building in 2019.

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A surveillance camera attached to the MI6 Headquarters recorded Zak's dive at 2:24 a.m. on November 28.

The former public schoolboy had spent the evening with gangster Dave Sharma and the son of a millionaire Tory donor Akbar Shamji.

Phone records and camera images showed that the pair probably knew that Zak had jumped to his death The times.

Sharma, better known as Indian Dave, was arrested in 2002 for a heroinsmuggling operation.

The wealthy businessman was also arrested after drug dealer Dave King was killed in a hail of bullets from an AK47 while shooting a Hertfordshire gym in 2003, the BBC reported.

Sharma was found dead in 2020.

Sharma sent a message to a friend at 10.30pm saying he had “heated up knives and cleaned the blood”, before adding a separate message: “It's about to go wrong. Wrong!”

Zak's parents, Matthew and Rachelle, both 61, question why detectives have failed to interview key witnesses.

The director of a financial services provider and journalist also accused the metropolitan police of 'blaming the victim'.

They claim police were too quick to pursue the theory that Zac committed suicide.

Matthew told The Times: “The omissions highly suggest a level of incompetence that is very difficult to make sense of. You think: they can't be that bad.

“My biggest criticism of the police is that there was no smoking gun and that they had to do the hard work of detective work, but they never really showed any desire to do so.”

Rachelle also described her grief The New Yorkerwho first reported the story.

She said: “I lived on that balcony with Zac, in my head.

“I literally had a stomach ache for months after his death, because you have to digest grief.”

Zac became fixated on wealth after attending Mill Hill, a private school in the north London.

In 2013 he found himself in the company of the children of oligarchs.

He spent his final year of school at Ashbourne College Kensingtoncloser to the family home in Maida Vale, west London.

The Brettlers later found out that he introduced himself as Zac Ismailov – a Kazakh man and the son of a Russian oligarch.

He reportedly told people that his father had died and his mother, who lived there, had died Dubaiblocked his inheritance.

A Met Police spokesperson said: “Our sincere condolences remain with the family of Zac Brettler, and we understand that the uncertainty surrounding their son's death must continue to be the cause of unimaginable pain.

'When someone dies unexpectedly in London, we have police protocols in place to follow, and the investigation into Zac's death was led by an experienced detective.

“The team worked hard to investigate every possible hypothesis, which was shared with Zac's family, but ultimately we were unable to provide a more complete answer.

'The case was also reviewed by specialist homicide detectives to ensure all lines of inquiry had been exhausted.

“As in any case, we always encourage anyone who believes they may have additional information or evidence to contact police.

“Any new information will be investigated on its own merits by a team led by experienced investigators.”

An inquest into Zac's death was held between December 13 and 16, 2022 at Poplar Coroner. Court.

The coroner gave an open verdict.

During the course of the investigation into his death, two men were arrested on suspicion of murder.

Both were released while investigations were conducted.

The 47 year old man [A] was released without further action.

The 55 year old man [B] subsequently died – his death was not suspicious.

The Met Police said the investigation has been “terminated”.