Superdry Co-founder James Holder Denies Rape, Claims Encounter Was Consensual in May 2022

James Holder, 54, co-founder of the fashion retailer Superdry, has asserted that a sexual encounter with a woman in May 2022 was consensual. Appearing at Cirencester Courthouse, Holder faces charges of rape and assault by penetration.

Holder Details Night Out and Consent Claim

Holder informed the jury on Wednesday that he embarked on an “impromptu” night out in Cheltenham, culminating in him entering the back of the complainant's taxi. He stated he “did not think to ask” if he could join her vehicle or accompany her to her flat. However, he claimed it became “very evident” the woman desired to have sex, asserting there was “completely full consent”.

The court heard that Holder’s company, JACKITCo, was on the verge of administration when he went to Gin and Juice on 6 May 2022, with the business collapsing the following week. He estimated his level of intoxication that night as a “seven or seven point five” out of 10.

Holder recounted getting into a taxi with a friend on the Promenade before deciding to join the complainant in her taxi. He described this as a “snap decision” driven by a desire for the “brilliant energy” of the night to continue. Upon arriving at the complainant's flat, he stated she invited them in.

After a period of conversation, Holder used the bathroom, then lay down on the end of a bed in an adjoining room and “fell straight asleep”. He testified that he awoke later, found his friend asleep on the sofa, and the complainant awake in a chair. He asked if she was “absolutely fine”, to which she affirmed. According to Holder, they began kissing shortly after, and she “inserted her tongue in my mouth it was very, very evident what she wanted to happen”.

Holder stated they then went to the bedroom and had sex. He claimed that after approximately 12 to 15 minutes, when the alleged victim indicated she was sore, he “stopped completely”. He denied being “in physical contact with her wrists”, disputing the alleged victim's claim that bruises on her wrists, photographed by police, were sustained during the alleged assault. Holder also maintained he did not see or hear the woman crying at any point.

The trial continues.