The British designer John Galliano is to face trial for racial and religious insults after he was accused of making antisemitic comments during a drunken rant at a Paris bar.

The state prosecutor has ruled that the star couturier must appear in Paris's criminal court in the coming months and could face up to six months in prison and €22,500 in fines.

He will face allegations of "public insults based on the origin, religious affiliation, race or ethnicity" against three people.

Galliano, axed by the French fashion house Dior following his arrest last week, has apologised "unreservedly" for his behaviour and said he was "seeking help". The New York Times reported friends had persuaded him to go to rehab.

Galliano was arrested on Thursday in the chic Marais district of Paris after allegedly shouting anti-Jewish and racist insults at a couple. He denied the allegations and his lawyer said he was counter-suing the couple for defamation. Police said he had drunk the equivalent of two bottles of wine.

Two days later a second woman claimed Galliano had similarly insulted her in the same bar in October. Then a video was put online appearing to show Galliano on another occasion telling two women: "I love Hitler. People like you would be dead. Your mothers, your forefathers would all be fucking gassed."

In a statement, he accepted the accusations had "greatly shocked and upset people" but denied the claims made against him. He said witnesses had told police he suffered verbal harassment and was subjected to an unprovoked assault during which someone tried to hit him with a chair.

But he added: "I must take responsibility for the circumstances in which I found myself and for allowing myself to be seen to be behaving in the worst possible light. I only have myself to blame and I know that I must face up to my own failures and that I must work hard to gain people's understanding and compassion."

He added: "Anti-Semitism and racism have no part in our society. I unreservedly apologise for my behaviour in causing any offence."