Superdry co-founder James Holder has been found guilty of rape by a jury at Gloucester Crown Court. The incident occurred after a night out in Cheltenham, where prosecutors said the woman’s intoxication had weakened her ability to fight back. Holder’s defense claimed the encounter was consensual, but the jury convicted him of rape.
A jury at Gloucester Crown Court found James Holder, co-founder of Superdry, guilty of rape following an incident following a night out in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, The Guardian reported.Prosecutors told the court that although Holder had initially planned to return to a property in the Cotswolds, he instead got into a taxi with the complainant and a male friend, and went to her flat, where the crime occurred. The jury reached its verdict after considering witness testimony and contradictions between Holder’s account and the woman’s account.According to reports by The Guardian, prosecutors said Holder’s actions deviated significantly from his stated intentions for the evening.
It was said in court that the woman repeatedly asked him to stop and appeared visibly distressed. The prosecution confirmed that her level of intoxication weakened her ability to resist, and that her ordeal formed an essential part of the case.The defense did not dispute that a sexual encounter occurred, but said it was consensual. Holder told the court his behavior was respectable, describing himself in a police interview as “old-fashioned and gentlemanly”.
Defense barrister Michelle Healy KC suggested the possibility of a drunken encounter, which she later regretted, an allegation the complainant rejected in her evidence.The jury acquitted Holder of assault by penetration, but convicted him of rape. Recorder David Chidgey remanded him in custody and refused bail before sentencing, citing the seriousness of the offence.Holder told the court he left the apartment shortly after the incident, claiming the woman was asleep at the time.
However, prosecutors pointed out inconsistencies between his version of events and that of the complainant.Holder has previously built a career in fashion, co-founding Superdry in 2003 with Julian Dunkerton after previous ventures including the Bench brand. The company has grown from a market stall in Cheltenham into an international retail company.A sentencing hearing is expected to be held at a later date.
