James Holder, the co-founder of the clothing brand Superdry, has been found guilty of raping a woman after a night out in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. The verdict was delivered at Gloucester Crown Court, sitting in Cirencester.
The court heard that Holder, 54, had been due to take a taxi back to his Cotswolds mansion with a male friend but instead entered the victim's taxi and went to her flat, where the assault occurred. Prosecutor James Haskell stated that the woman asked Holder to stop, but he continued even when she began crying, noting she was more vulnerable due to intoxication.
Holder insisted the sexual activity was consensual, but the jury found him guilty of rape while acquitting him of assault by penetration. He was remanded into custody after the recorder David Chidgey denied bail, pending sentencing.
In police interview, Holder described himself as 'old-school and chivalrous', claiming he looked after the woman throughout the evening. However, under cross-examination, he admitted leaving the flat shortly after the incident because he needed to go home, leaving the woman asleep on the bed.
Holder, a graphic design student, co-founded Superdry with Julian Dunkerton in 2003, starting as a market stall in Cheltenham. The brand now has over 60 stores in the UK and locations worldwide.
