Prosecutors have alleged that James Holder, the co-founder of the global fashion brand Superdry, deliberately lured a woman to her bedroom in the early hours of 7 May 2022 by feigning concern for her wellbeing before raping her. The claim was central to the case that ended with a jury at Gloucester Crown Court, sitting in Cirencester, finding the 54-year-old guilty of rape on 1 May 2026. Holder, who was acquitted of a separate charge of assault by penetration, has been remanded into custody ahead of sentencing.
The court heard that Holder and a male friend had gone back to the victim’s flat in Cheltenham uninvited after a night out drinking. According to the prosecution, Holder first went to the toilet before falling asleep on the woman’s bed. He later woke up, made his way to the living room doorway, and began a conversation that the prosecution argues was a calculated ploy. Barrister James Haskell, prosecuting, told the court that Holder said words to the effect of: “What’s happening, is everything all right?” and then asked: “Can you show me?” — a request intended, the prosecution said, to entice the woman into her own bedroom.
The victim, who had been trying to sleep in the lounge, testified that she was crying and repeatedly pleaded with Holder to stop as the rape took place. In his defence, Holder maintained that any sexual activity was consensual. He told the jury that the woman had initiated contact by kissing him first and that it was “evident what she wanted to happen”. He also claimed that he “stopped immediately” when she complained of discomfort. The court was informed that Holder had been drunk on the night in question, had refused a taxi ordered for him and his friend, and instead chose to share the victim’s taxi to the flat. He said he left the property because he had been out longer than anticipated and needed to go home, letting himself out as she slept.
The five-day trial centred on whether Holder’s words and actions at the door of the living room amounted to deception. The prosecution’s interpretation of his intent was given the greatest weight in the courtroom narrative. Haskell argued that Holder’s query about whether the woman was all right was not genuine concern but a ruse to draw her into a private space where he could take advantage. “You saw something you wanted and you took it,” Haskell said. He went on to reconstruct the critical moment: “because the truth is that when you got to the doorway of the living room you said something like: ‘What’s happening, is everything all right?’ as you wanted to entice her to the bedroom and that’s why you said: ‘Can you show me?’”
James Holder, described in court as the “creative force behind many of Superdry’s signature designs”, co-founded the brand in 2003 with Julian Dunkerton in Cheltenham, blending vintage Americana with Japanese-inspired graphics and British tailoring. The company’s early success was boosted by celebrity endorsements including David Beckham, and it floated on the stock market in 2010. Holder, who also founded the skateboarding and BMX label Bench, previously appeared in The Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated fortune of around £199 million. He is a married father of two and lives in Cheltenham. Julian Dunkerton, the other co-founder, started his entrepreneurial journey aged 19 with a market stall selling vintage clothing, later founding Cult Clothing in 1985. He has since been involved in Dunkertons Organic Cider, hospitality and property, and has navigated complex boardroom battles at Superdry, including stepping down as CEO and later returning amid plans to take the company private.
The jury accepted the prosecution’s narrative that Holder’s words were a deliberate lure, rejecting his claim that the sexual encounter was consensual. Haskell’s closing question to the court encapsulated the case: “You saw something you wanted and you took it… and that’s why you said: ‘Can you show me?’”
