John Galliano blamed drink and anti-depressant drugs for his vicious anti-Semitic attack in a Paris bar, saying he had ‘no recollection whatsoever’ of the event.
The British designer arrived at court today with a bodyguard, dressed in a black three-piece suit, with black brogues, and black and white polka dot neck tie - but wearing no shirt.
The 50-year-old showed no emotion in the Paris court as he was accused of calling 35-year-old Geraldine Bloch ‘dirty Jewish face’ on February 24.
Galliano is on trial for two anti-Semitic attacks. He faces six months in prison and a £21,000 fine if found guilty. He denies purposefully offending anyone.
He admitted, however, that Christian Dior, where he was chief designer at the time, was a ‘billion dollar business’ and ‘money-making machine’ and that intense work caused him to drink heavily and take anti-depressants.
Galliano had also been devastated by the loss of ‘my beloved’ business partner and boyfriend Steven Robinson, an Englishman who died of a heart attack in Paris at the age of 38 in 2007.
Despite objections from Ms Bloch – a petite brunette who works as a museum curator - Judge Anne-Marie Sauteraud allowed Galliano’s burly guard to remain sitting close to him in the 17th Chamber of the Paris Correctional Court.
The judge read out a charge sheet, saying Galliano had delivered a series of ‘public insults based on origin, religious affiliation, race or ethnicity'.
She said Galliano, whose hair was worn long with blonde highlights, was so used to swearing out loud following Champagne binges that his chauffeur was ‘trained’ to telephone a lawyer if arguments became too heated.
Mrs Sauteraud said trouble had broken out in La Perle, Galliano’s local bar in the French capital, on February 24, when he began insulting Ms Bloch.
When her partner, 41-year-old Philippe Virgitti, intervened he was called ‘a dirty Asian s***’ and Galliano also implied that the Frenchman was an ‘illegal immigrant’.
In turn, Mr Virgitti threatened to hit the designer over the head with a chair, before police arrived to restore order.
Galliano told the court that he could only remember Mr Virgitti preparing to attack him, and the police arriving.
‘I don’t remember very well what happened,’ Galliano told the court.
Asked by Mrs Sauteraud if he recognised the words attributed to him, he replied: ‘I have no idea. I can’t remember. I have no idea I’m afraid.’
Explaining his reliance on Champagne and drugs like Valium, Galliano said: ‘I have an addiction, I am a recovering alcohol addict. I’ve been in Arizona for two months following a rehab programme.’
Referring to his deceased partner Mr Robinson, Galliano said: ‘Steven protected me from everything so I could be creative.
'With his death I found I had no protection. The workload was increasing, but at Dior and Galliano (his eponymous label).’
Galliano added: ‘When Steven died, with his parents, I buried him and then went back to do my fittings.’
The court heard that Galliano’s outbursts were so common that his driver was used to calling his lawyer as soon as they started, and during the outburst in February he tried to put him on the phone to Ms Bloch.
Ms Bloch was asked by bar staff to ‘swap seats’, but refused, and instead told the court that she suffered a 45-minute tirade during which Galliano accused her of having ‘revolting eyebrows, low-end boots and low-end thighs'.
Asked by police if he’d been drinking, Galliano told officers: ‘I drank Champagne at lunch and during the afternoon I had a glass of Champagne while I did my shopping.
‘I had dinner at a brasserie where I had some more Champagne, and finally I had a mojito at La Perle.’
Fatiha Oumeddour, a 47-year-old prosecution witness who was not in court, told police she had been called a ‘f******* ugly dirty Jewish b****’ by Galliano at La Perle in October 2010.
After the allegations were made, a video emerged of Galliano apparently telling two Italian women that their forebears should have been 'gassed', and 'I love Hitler'.
Neither of the women has pressed charges, but the video will play an important part in the prosecution case.
Galliano’s lawyer, Aurelien Hamelle, said: ‘Some things may have come out of his mouth that didn’t come from his brain.’
Faced with mounting commercial pressures, Galliano had been swallowing Valium tranquilizer pills 'like they were candy', said Mr Hamelle.
'When he was in this state, he had no way of knowing or remembering what he said. Every witness at the cafe has said he was acting out of character.'
Ms Bloch's lawyer,Yves Beddouk, said his client was not interested in money, and solely wanted one euro in symbolic damages.
She also wanted the court's decision published in the French and international press, as well as in fashion magazines such as Elle and Vogue.
Mr Beddouk said: 'Galliano considered that he was on his own territory, and that people he didn't like had no right to be there.
'When you've got such a big reputation, you need to be even more respectful and cautious than ordinary people.'
One of the key legal points made during the case was whether English swear words have the same effect in French, said the Judge.
Her attempts at pronouncing some the words in English were met by sniggers in the packed court, with Mrs Sauteraud saying: ‘This is no laughing matter.’
Galliano always swore in English, while all of his alleged victims are said to be from France. None are Jewish.
Anti-Jewish behaviour is a criminal offence in France, meaning the multi-millionaire bachelor faces a six-month prison sentence, as well as a £21,000 fine, if found guilty of hurling 'public insults based on the origin, religious affiliation, race or ethnicity' of three people.
A ruling on the case is expected in September.
The British designer arrived at court today with a bodyguard, dressed in a black three-piece suit, with black brogues, and black and white polka dot neck tie - but wearing no shirt.
The 50-year-old showed no emotion in the Paris court as he was accused of calling 35-year-old Geraldine Bloch ‘dirty Jewish face’ on February 24.
Galliano is on trial for two anti-Semitic attacks. He faces six months in prison and a £21,000 fine if found guilty. He denies purposefully offending anyone.
He admitted, however, that Christian Dior, where he was chief designer at the time, was a ‘billion dollar business’ and ‘money-making machine’ and that intense work caused him to drink heavily and take anti-depressants.
Galliano had also been devastated by the loss of ‘my beloved’ business partner and boyfriend Steven Robinson, an Englishman who died of a heart attack in Paris at the age of 38 in 2007.
Despite objections from Ms Bloch – a petite brunette who works as a museum curator - Judge Anne-Marie Sauteraud allowed Galliano’s burly guard to remain sitting close to him in the 17th Chamber of the Paris Correctional Court.
The judge read out a charge sheet, saying Galliano had delivered a series of ‘public insults based on origin, religious affiliation, race or ethnicity'.
She said Galliano, whose hair was worn long with blonde highlights, was so used to swearing out loud following Champagne binges that his chauffeur was ‘trained’ to telephone a lawyer if arguments became too heated.
Mrs Sauteraud said trouble had broken out in La Perle, Galliano’s local bar in the French capital, on February 24, when he began insulting Ms Bloch.
When her partner, 41-year-old Philippe Virgitti, intervened he was called ‘a dirty Asian s***’ and Galliano also implied that the Frenchman was an ‘illegal immigrant’.
In turn, Mr Virgitti threatened to hit the designer over the head with a chair, before police arrived to restore order.
Galliano told the court that he could only remember Mr Virgitti preparing to attack him, and the police arriving.
‘I don’t remember very well what happened,’ Galliano told the court.
Asked by Mrs Sauteraud if he recognised the words attributed to him, he replied: ‘I have no idea. I can’t remember. I have no idea I’m afraid.’
Explaining his reliance on Champagne and drugs like Valium, Galliano said: ‘I have an addiction, I am a recovering alcohol addict. I’ve been in Arizona for two months following a rehab programme.’
Referring to his deceased partner Mr Robinson, Galliano said: ‘Steven protected me from everything so I could be creative.
'With his death I found I had no protection. The workload was increasing, but at Dior and Galliano (his eponymous label).’
Galliano added: ‘When Steven died, with his parents, I buried him and then went back to do my fittings.’
The court heard that Galliano’s outbursts were so common that his driver was used to calling his lawyer as soon as they started, and during the outburst in February he tried to put him on the phone to Ms Bloch.
Ms Bloch was asked by bar staff to ‘swap seats’, but refused, and instead told the court that she suffered a 45-minute tirade during which Galliano accused her of having ‘revolting eyebrows, low-end boots and low-end thighs'.
Asked by police if he’d been drinking, Galliano told officers: ‘I drank Champagne at lunch and during the afternoon I had a glass of Champagne while I did my shopping.
‘I had dinner at a brasserie where I had some more Champagne, and finally I had a mojito at La Perle.’
Fatiha Oumeddour, a 47-year-old prosecution witness who was not in court, told police she had been called a ‘f******* ugly dirty Jewish b****’ by Galliano at La Perle in October 2010.
After the allegations were made, a video emerged of Galliano apparently telling two Italian women that their forebears should have been 'gassed', and 'I love Hitler'.
Neither of the women has pressed charges, but the video will play an important part in the prosecution case.
Galliano’s lawyer, Aurelien Hamelle, said: ‘Some things may have come out of his mouth that didn’t come from his brain.’
Faced with mounting commercial pressures, Galliano had been swallowing Valium tranquilizer pills 'like they were candy', said Mr Hamelle.
'When he was in this state, he had no way of knowing or remembering what he said. Every witness at the cafe has said he was acting out of character.'
Ms Bloch's lawyer,Yves Beddouk, said his client was not interested in money, and solely wanted one euro in symbolic damages.
She also wanted the court's decision published in the French and international press, as well as in fashion magazines such as Elle and Vogue.
Mr Beddouk said: 'Galliano considered that he was on his own territory, and that people he didn't like had no right to be there.
'When you've got such a big reputation, you need to be even more respectful and cautious than ordinary people.'
One of the key legal points made during the case was whether English swear words have the same effect in French, said the Judge.
Her attempts at pronouncing some the words in English were met by sniggers in the packed court, with Mrs Sauteraud saying: ‘This is no laughing matter.’
Galliano always swore in English, while all of his alleged victims are said to be from France. None are Jewish.
Anti-Jewish behaviour is a criminal offence in France, meaning the multi-millionaire bachelor faces a six-month prison sentence, as well as a £21,000 fine, if found guilty of hurling 'public insults based on the origin, religious affiliation, race or ethnicity' of three people.
A ruling on the case is expected in September.
