A court trial revealed that James Holder, the co-founder of Superdry clothing company, allegedly refused to return home after a night of drinking. Despite a taxi being arranged to take him and a friend back to his residence in the Cotswolds, they reportedly changed taxis and joined the woman accusing him of rape later that night at her house.

Witnesses testified in the trial held in Cirencester that a taxi had been arranged for Holder and his friend to go home, but Holder refused to go. Instead, they switched taxis and ended up in the complainant’s taxi. The woman who arranged the taxis recounted the events, mentioning that she ensured the complainant got into a separate cab.

Following the incident, efforts were made to ensure the complainant’s safety, with one witness contacting her to confirm her well-being. The next day, another friend checked on the complainant, who disclosed details of the alleged incident involving Holder.

The complainant recounted that she had ended up in bed with Holder, where kissing escalated to unwanted sexual intercourse. Although she expressed discomfort, the encounter continued until Holder left in the early hours.

During discussions the day after the incident, the complainant did not explicitly mention rape. However, another visitor to her home stated that the complainant indicated Holder had attempted to have non-consensual sex with her.

Holder, residing in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, has pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and assault by penetration. The trial is ongoing.