Former Dior creative director John Galliano will attend the opening day of his trial for alleged anti-Semetic remarks today.

The troubled fashion designer - who has been in rehab since he reportedly launched a verbal attack on a couple in a Paris cafe in February - is expected to blame his excessive drinking and use of prescription medications as the cause of his outburst. Today's hearing - which will be held in front of three judges but no jury as it is a minor offence - is expected to last between four and five hours, with witnesses from both sides giving evidence.

The trial will address two separate incidents in Paris, France, involving three plaintiffs; Geraldine Bloch and Philippe Virgitti who allege the designer hurled insults at them in February this year and Fathia Oumeddour's claims concerning an incident in October 2010. However, Jean-Yves Dupeux, of French law firm Lussan & Associes says pleading dependence on drugs is not likely to work in the disgraced designer's favor.

"It's unusual in a case of insults, but it's not unusual in criminal cases. But it's not a very good line of defense, since jurisdictions consider that people dispose of free will and that if they are addicts, they should just go into rehab, and that if it has come to this, it's a bit their own fault," Dupeux said.