Superdry co-founder James Holder convicted of rape in England

The co-founder of the fashion brand Superdry was convicted Friday of rape after a night of drinking. James Holder, 54, was found guilty by a jury in Gloucester Crown Court of one count of rape but acquitted of a separate charge of assault by penetration for the May 2022 assault. Holder had been out for drinks at Gin and Juice, a bar in Cheltenham, England, with colleagues and friends when he became "intoxicated," a witness told the court, BBC News reported . The witness said she hailed a taxi for Holder and his friend to take them to Holder's home before hailing a second taxi to take the accuser home, BBC News reported. The witness said Holder told her: "I am not going home." The accuser said Holder got in her taxi and entered her home uninvited after they had been at a bar in Cheltenham. She said he assaulted her after he awoke from a short nap. She testified that she cried as he carried on despite her pleas to stop. Holder, a married father of two, denied the charges and said all sexual activity had been consensual. Co-founder of clothing firm Superdry James Holder, is escorted by a police officer as he leaves Cirencester Magistrates' Court, England, Friday, May 1 , 2026. Rod Minchin/PA via AP He was jailed in advance of sentencing in Bristol Crown Court on May 7. Holder was one of the co-founders of Superdry in 2003 and by 2018, Superdry products were sold in 157 countries, according to the company's website . …