A prominent figure in the fashion industry, James Holder, one of the founders of Superdry, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman following a night of drinking.
James Holder, aged 54, committed the assault in the early hours of May 7, 2022, at a bar in Cheltenham. The incident occurred when Holder and a companion entered the woman’s residence without permission, leading to the assault after he woke up from a nap in her bed.
Holder had refuted allegations of assault by penetration and rape, contending that any intimacy with the woman was consensual. Although acquitted of one charge, he was found guilty of rape following a trial in Cirencester last week.
The victim testified that she pleaded with Holder, a married father, to stop during the assault, but he disregarded her distress.
According to court proceedings, Holder lured the woman from the living room to her bedroom, where the assault occurred after he had awoken from his nap. The woman managed to escape, prompting Holder to leave shortly thereafter.
In earlier statements, it was mentioned that Holder had a traditional and courteous attitude towards women and had a high regard for sexual relations.
During his testimony, Holder claimed the woman initiated the encounter and that their interactions were consensual. He described a sequence of events leading to the assault as a mutual decision between them.
Under questioning, Holder denied that his intention in visiting the woman’s home was solely for a sexual encounter.
The woman strongly opposed suggestions that she had initiated the encounter, emphasizing that Holder’s actions were forceful and non-consensual.
Holder, along with Julian Dunkerton, established Superdry in 2003, starting as a market stall in Cheltenham before expanding to a physical store in Covent Garden, London, in 2004. The brand has since grown to have numerous stores globally, including over 60 in the UK.
Superdry confirmed that Holder was no longer associated with the company at the time of the incident.
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