James Holder, 54, has denied charges of rape and assault by penetration. The court heard that Holder and the woman had sexual activity, but Holder insists it was consensual.
The co-founder of Superdry who is accused of raping a woman refused to go home when friends put him in a taxi after a night out drinking, a court has heard.
James Holder, 54, was at a bar in Cheltenham on the night of the alleged assault in May 2022. Gloucester Crown Court heard Holder was drunk and a taxi was organised to take him and his friend back to his large home in the Cotswolds. But instead, Holder and the friend got out of their taxi and got into the taxi of the woman he is accused of raping hours later at her home, jurors were told.
The court heard there was no dispute sexual activity took place between the multi-millionaire clothing firm businessman and the woman - but Holder insists it was consensual. The trial in Cirencester heard evidence from witnesses who had been out on the evening in Cheltenham. One told the court she had arranged for a taxi to take the defendant and his friend back home. She said: 'I flagged him down a taxi.
They both got into the taxi. James said, 'I am not going home.
' James Holder, 54, the co-founder of clothing firm Superdry is accused of raping a woman after a night out drinking James Holder (right) co-founded Superdry with Julian Dunkerton (left) in 2003 The woman said she then flagged down a second taxi for the complainant and put her in the front passenger seat. She told the court: 'The two guys got out the taxi and into the back seat of her taxi.
I said to the taxi driver: 'There's two drops.
' 'Because she had already got into the taxi, I told the driver to take her home and when the two guys got in, I said: 'There's a second drop,' and that was that. ' The woman said she had later tried phoning the complainant to check she was home, but got no answer, and instead phoned Holder's friend who handed his phone over to the alleged victim.
'I just remember checking that she got home safely, and it seemed like the guys are there,' the woman said. 'She said she was fine. I could hear music in the background. She said she was making gin drinks and it's fine.
'We were speaking for a couple of minutes, and I was quite worried because she seemed quite drunk. ' The woman said she offered her spare bedroom to the complainant, but she declined. Holder, of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, has denied the charges of rape and assault by penetration.
The following day, the woman was contacted by another friend who was concerned for the complainant, and they went together to her home, where she disclosed some details of what had allegedly taken place. She said: 'Somehow, she ended up getting into her bed with James. Somehow, they started kissing.
'I asked her how comfortable she was with that, and the kissing, and she told me she was. 'She then said things went further and they have ended up having sex. She said she didn't want to have sex but she ended up having sex with James.
'She was quite hazy on the detail about how they got their clothes off, but she said it got to a stage where it got uncomfortable. 'She said he left at about 4am. ' Michelle Heeley KC, representing Holder, asked the woman whether during her conversations with the complainant the day after the alleged assault she had asked her whether she had been raped. 'I didn't use that word - it's a big word.
I don't recall it,' she said. The second woman who had attended the complainant's home the next day described her as 'quiet'.
'She wasn't giving a lot of detail, but she said that James had tried to have sex with her,' the witness said. 'She said she didn't want to have sex with him. ' She said that after the other woman left the complainant's home, she called 111 asking for advice after the complainant mentioned rape.
'Obviously that was a difficult thing to hear and something I had not experienced before, so I suggested perhaps calling 111 for some advice and clarity. ' Holder, of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, denies charges of rape and assault by penetration. The trial continues
Superdry James Holder Rape Assault By Penetration Consent
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