James Holder, co-founder of fashion brand Superdry, jailed eight years for rape

07 May 2026, 18:57 by Testimony Adebisi · TheCable Lifestyle

James Holder, the co-founder of British clothing brand Superdry, has been sentenced to eight years in prison after being convicted of raping a woman.

The 54-year-old entrepreneur was said to have assaulted the woman in her flat following a night out in 2022.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman said the incident had “cast shadows where there should only be light”.

“Four years since you raped me. I will not soften that word to make it easier for you or anyone else to hear; it belongs to the truth of your actions,” the statement read.

“I am still here, still standing, still reclaiming every part of myself you tried to take.

“What you did to me did not end that day. It has followed me into my relationships, into the way I try to trust, into moments where connection should feel safe but doesn’t.”

Holder was convicted last week following a trial at Gloucester crown court in Cirencester.

A witness testified that she had ordered separate taxis for Holder and the victim, but Holder instead entered the victim’s cab, which was headed to her home.

Prosecutor James Haskell told the court that Holder later appeared at the living room doorway and asked the woman to join him in the bedroom. She declined, citing fatigue.

According to the prosecution, Holder then pulled her onto the bed and continued to touch her, removing her lower clothing despite her attempts to resist.

“At one point she remembered starting to cry, but even then he didn’t stop,” the prosecutor said.

The jury was told that the woman eventually escaped from the bedroom, after which Holder left the flat shortly afterward.

The incident was reported to the police, and the complainant gave a video-recorded interview in July 2022.

During a police interview in 2022, Holder spoke of his “love of women and sex,” adding that his instinct was to “protect [the victim] and women” and that he could “handle alcohol well”.

Recorder Chidgey told Holder that he would serve at least two-thirds of his sentence in prison.

He was also ordered to pay £5,000 toward prosecution costs and a victim surcharge, the amount of which is yet to be calculated.

In a statement, Superdry said Holder had resigned as a director and employee in 2016, and his consultancy role ended in 2019.

“The case relates to an incident in 2022, long after any role with Superdry had ended,” the company said.

“The court case does not relate to Superdry, its premises, employees, or business activity. As this remains a matter for the court, Superdry cannot comment further.”

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