Galliano guilty of anti-Semitic insults but walks free with 'suspended' fine

Fashion designer John Galliano was found guilty today of using anti-Semitic and racist language - but walked free and does not have to pay a fine.

The 50-year-old was convicted of "casting public insults based on origin, religious affiliation, race or ethnicity" following two outbursts in a Paris bar.

He had faced a jail term of up to six months, but in an unusual move was given a "suspended" fine of 6,000. Galliano was not at the Palais de Justice in Paris to hear the verdict.

He has been sacked from his job as chief fashion designer at Dior over the comments.

A trial in June heard the British designer had been drinking champagne and taking Valium pills "like candy" on the day he accused Geraldine Bloch, 35, of having a "dirty Jewish face".

The museum curator suffered a 45-minute tirade in La Perle bar, in the Marais district of Paris, on February 24.

Galliano accused her of having "revolting eyebrows, low-end boots and low-end thighs". As her partner Philippe Virgitti, 41, intervened, he was called "a dirty Asian s**t".

Galliano, who was born in Gibraltar and moved to south London as a child, also implied the Frenchman was an "illegal immigrant".

He told the court he could only remember Mr Virgitti preparing to attack him and police arriving.

Fatiha Oumeddour, 47, told police she had been called a "f***ing ugly dirty Jewish bastard" at the same bar on October 8 last year.

A video then emerged of a third outburst in which he apparently tells two Italian women their forebears should have been "gassed", adding "I love Hitler".

Galliano pleaded not guilty, apologised and said: "They're not views I believe in." His lawyer Aurelien Hamelle said: "Some things may have come out of his mouth that didn't come from his brain."

Galliano was also ordered to pay 1 in damages to each of his three named victims. He must pay the legal costs of a number of anti-racism groups who helped bring him to court.