James Holder, the co-founder of fashion brand Superdry, has been found guilty of raping a woman after a night out in the Gloucestershire town of Cheltenham. A jury at Gloucester Crown Court, which sat in Cirencester during the trial, convicted the 54-year-old businessman of rape. Jurors cleared him of a separate charge of assault by penetration.
The court heard that the incident took place in May 2022 after Holder spent the evening socialising in Cheltenham. Prosecutors said Holder had planned to return to his home in the Cotswolds with a male friend by taxi. Instead, the two men entered the victim’s taxi and later went to her flat, reported The Guardian.
What happened during trial?
During the trial, prosecutor James Haskell told jurors the woman repeatedly asked Holder to stop during the sexual encounter. He said she became upset and started crying, but Holder continued.
Haskell told the court the woman was vulnerable because she had consumed alcohol that night. The prosecution argued that the sexual activity was not consensual and that the victim clearly communicated that she wanted it to stop.
The court heard there was no disagreement that sexual activity had taken place. The central issue during the trial was consent. Holder insisted the encounter was consensual, while the woman told jurors she had been raped.
Holder gave evidence in court and denied the allegations against him. During questioning, he described himself as “old-school and chivalrous,” reported The Guardian.
Prosecutor James Haskell asked him, “Did you behave in a chivalrous manner towards her that night?”
Holder replied, “I did, yes. I looked after her throughout the whole evening.”
Haskell asked, “Are you somebody who is used to doing precisely what they want to?”
Holder answered, “No, I am not, actually.”
The businessman also faced questions about why he left the woman’s flat shortly after the incident. Holder told the court: “I had been out for much longer than I anticipated and I needed to go home. I let myself out. She was asleep on the bed.”
Defence barrister Michelle Heeley KC challenged the complainant during cross-examination. She suggested the incident was “a drunken sexual encounter that you regret”.
The woman replied, “Incorrect.”
After hearing evidence from both sides, jurors returned a guilty verdict on the rape charge.
Who is James Holder?
Following the verdict, Recorder David Chidgey rejected Holder’s application for bail. The judge ordered that he be remanded into custody until sentencing.
Holder is famous in the British fashion industry. Before helping launch Superdry, he founded the skateboarding and BMX-inspired clothing label Bench.
In 2003, Holder cofounded Superdry alongside entrepreneur Julian Dunkerton, reported The Guardian. The business began as a market stall in Cheltenham and later expanded into an international fashion chain.
The company opened its first physical store in Covent Garden, London, in 2004. Over the years, Superdry grew into a globally recognised clothing brand with stores across several countries, including more than 60 outlets in the United Kingdom.