Trending Now - Superdry's Co-founder Receives Eight-year Prison Term for Rape
WHO:
ABC News - James Holder is a married father of two.
ABC News - James Holder, 54, cofounder of the British fashion brand Superdry
ABC News - Judge David Chidgey, presiding at Bristol Crown Court
BBC News - The victim, a woman who was assaulted by Holder
WHAT:
ABC News - Holder denied the charges, claiming all sexual activity was consensual.
BBC News - Holder showed no emotion as he was sentenced by Recorder David Chidgey.
ABC News - James Holder was sentenced to eight years in prison for raping a woman.
ABC News - Holder was found guilty of one count of rape but acquitted of a separate charge of assault by penetration.
ABC News - The judge described the offense as “a despicable piece of sexual violence.”
WHERE:
ABC News - The assault occurred in the victim's flat in Cheltenham, England.
ABC News - The trial took place at Gloucester Crown Court in the west of England.
WHEN:
ABC News - The assault occurred in May 2022.
ABC News - The sentencing took place on a Thursday.
WHY:
ABC News - The judge indicated that the offense was about Holder's sense of entitlement and disregard for the victim's rights.
HOW:
ABC News - The victim testified that she cried as Holder continued the assault despite her pleas to stop.
ABC News - The victim testified that Holder entered her home uninvited after they had been at a bar and assaulted her after waking from a nap.
(UPDATED May 7, 2026 17:33 UTC)
James Holder, a married father of two, has denied charges against him, asserting that all sexual activity was consensual. During the proceedings, the victim testified that she cried as Holder continued the assault despite her pleas for him to stop. Showing no emotion, Holder was sentenced by Recorder David Chidgey.
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(UPDATED May 7, 2026 15:48 UTC)
James Holder, cofounder of the British fashion brand Superdry, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for raping a woman in her flat in Cheltenham, England. The judge, David Chidgey, described the offense as “a despicable piece of sexual violence,” highlighting Holder's sense of entitlement and disregard for the victim's rights. While he was found guilty of one count of rape, he was acquitted of a separate charge of assault by penetration during the trial at Gloucester Crown Court.