Ex-Dior designer Galliano tells court of 'triple addiction'

Prosecutors in France have asked for a fine of no less than 10,000 euro (the equivalent of $14,000 Cdn) for former Dior designer John Galliano who is on trial charged with making anti-Semitic slurs in a Paris cafe.

Galliano testified during his one-day trial Wednesday that he remembers nothing because addictions to alcohol, barbiturates and sleeping pills. A verdict is expected at a later date.

He told the court that he remembers nothing because of his "triple addiction" to alcohol, barbiturates and sleeping pills.

Charges that the outspoken British designer insulted several caf patrons with anti-Semitic remarks shocked the fashion world and cost Galliano his job at the renowned French high-fashion house.

Galliano's appearance at the one-day trial put him in the public eye for the first time in months. In a conservative look for him, Galliano was dressed in black with a polka dot neckerchief, sporting a pencil mustache and long hair.

Galliano is charged with "public insults based on origin, religious affiliation, race or ethnicity" and could face up to six months in prison and $32,175 USin fines. The verdict is expected at a later date.

Journalists, including fashion writers, packed the wooden benches in the courtroom, which features a high ceiling painted with a woman holding the scales of justice. Television cameras were not allowed in the courtroom but trailed Galliano as he went inside.

The famed designer was escorted to a front-row seat in the wood-panelled, gilded courtroom at the Justice Palace, sitting next to an interpreter as he faced the three judges presiding over his fate.

'I'm a recovering alcoholic and a recovering addict.' John Galliano, Dior's former head designer

Asked about the specifics of the evening of Feb. 24, when he allegedly derided a couple with anti-Semitic insults, Galliano repeatedly said he remembered nothing.

"I have a triple addiction," he said when asked why his memory was blank. "I'm a recovering alcoholic and a recovering addict."

He said he started drinking in 2007 and became addicted to alcohol, barbiturates and sleeping pills.

After his detention by police in February, Galliano said, he underwent rehabilitation treatment in Arizona for two months and in Switzerland.

"After every creative high, I would crash and the alcohol helped me," he said, adding that his creativity "helped make Dior a billion-dollar business."

'I was in denial'

Asked why he didn't tell police investigators about his addictions, Galliano responded: "I was in denial. I was still taking those pills and alcohol, and I was in complete denial."

A couple who were in the caf in February contend Galliano made anti-Semitic comments to them. Galliano was taken in by police for questioning, and a sobriety test showed he was drunk at the time.

Another woman then came forward with similar claims about an incident in the same caf in October. Both accusations were being addressed at Wednesday's trial.

Days after the February bar incident, a video was broadcast on the website of the British tabloid The Sun showing an inebriated Galliano insulting a fellow caf client, slurring: "I love Hitler."

The court asked the designer about the anti-Semitic views he spouts in the 45-second-long video.

"These are not views that I hold or believe in," he said. "In the video, I see someone who needs help, who's vulnerable. It's the shell of John Galliano. I see someone who's been pushed to the edge."

"All my life I've fought against prejudice and intolerance and discrimination because I have been subjected to it myself," Galliano said,"I apologize for the sadness that this affair has caused and I apologize to the court as well."

'Gratuitous insults'

Geraldine Bloch,one of those allegedly assaulted,told the court Galliano pronounced the word "Jewish" "at least 30 times" in the approximately 45-minute-long altercation.

Asked why, in their statements, no one else at the caf appeared to have heard Galliano say the word Jewish, Bloch replied, "I am very surprised."

"He didn't say it any softer or louder than the other commentaries," she added.

When asked if the designer appeared to be drunk, Bloch responded, "I don't know if he was drunk but he was behaving completely strangely."

Judges then asked why she remained seated next to him. Bloch saidGalliano had upset her so much with his "gratuitous insults," that staying there became a "question of principle" for her.

'It was very difficult to tell who had insulted whom' Marion Bully

Another patron of the caf, 30-year-old English teacher Marion Bully, was called as a defence witness. Bully said she was surprised that instead of changing tables, the couple ordered another drink.

"It was very difficult to tell who had insulted whom," she told the court.

Galliano repeated a litany of insults, including "Shut up," "You're ugly" and others with four-letter words, Bully told the court.

"[But] I absolutely didn't hear anything anti-Semitic," she testified, adding she thought the altercation was "totally overblown."

In court, Galliano described increasing workloads at Dior and his signature label, John Galliano, in part as a response to the financial crisis. "They kept me very busy," he said, adding that he had not had time to mourn after the 2007 death of his right-hand man and the 2005 death of his father.

His lawyer, Aurelien Hamelle, told The Associated Press this week that the designer's comments were "misplaced and hurtful," but attributed them to Galliano's addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs.

Lawyer says witnesses didn't hear insults

Galliano issued a statement at the time saying: "Anti-Semitism and racism have no part in our society. I unreservedly apologize for my behaviour in causing any offence." He also said he was "seeking help" for personal failures.

French law prohibits public insults toward others because of their origins, race or religion.

If the court determines that the insults against the victims were heard by other people, it would be a crime and a conviction could lead to a prison term. If such insults were not witnessed, they would only amount to a petty offense and be punishable by a fine.

The February caf incident and the video reverberated throughout the fashion world because they emerged on the eve of Paris Fashion Week. Dior fired Galliano after 14 years with the company and denounced his comments.

After joining the company in 1996, Galliano made an indelible mark on the storied house, with theatrical, often outrageous, runway shows that were among the most-anticipated displays on the Paris fashion calendar.

The trial is being held on the opening day of another round of Paris fashion shows, the menswear spring-summer 2012 collection.