James Holder, the 54-year-old cofounder of the fashion brand Superdry, has been convicted of rape. A jury at Gloucester Crown Court found Holder guilty of one count of rape stemming from an assault in May 2022, though he was acquitted of a separate charge of assault by penetration.
The assault occurred following a night of drinking in the Gloucestershire town of Cheltenham. The court heard that Holder and a male friend entered the victim's taxi and went to her flat, where Holder entered uninvited. The accuser testified that Holder assaulted her after he awoke from a short nap, continuing despite her pleas to stop and her crying.
Holder, a married father of two, denied the charges and maintained that all sexual activity was consensual. He was jailed in advance of sentencing in Bristol Crown Court on May 7.