James Holder, 54, co-founder of the fashion brand Superdry, was found guilty of one count of rape by a jury in Gloucester Crown Court. The conviction stems from an assault in May 2022 after a night of drinking in Cheltenham, England. Holder was acquitted of a separate assault charge and remanded in custody ahead of sentencing.
Holder had been drinking with colleagues and friends at Gin and Juice bar in Cheltenham when he became intoxicated, a witness told the court. The witness hailed a taxi for Holder and a friend, then a second for the accuser. Holder entered the accuser's taxi and her home uninvited, where he assaulted her after waking from a nap, she testified. She said she cried and pleaded for him to stop, but he continued. Holder denied the charges, claiming all sexual activity was consensual. He is a married father of two. Holder was convicted Friday but acquitted of assault by penetration related to the May 2022 incident. He co-founded Superdry in 2003; by 2018, its products reached 157 countries. The brand delisted from the London Stock Exchange in 2024 amid falling sales and rebranded as Superdry & Co. Holder remains jailed pending sentencing on May 7 in Bristol Crown Court.
