By City News Service and Staff
The Wildomar man who lunged after Paris Hilton’ and hit her boyfriend outside the Van Nuys courthouse pleaded no contest Thursday to a misdemeanor battery charge.
James Rainford — who was found in violation of his probation for an earlier run-in with a bodyguard of Hilton’s — was immediately sentenced to 227 days in jail and ordered to serve three years on probation, according to Frank Mateljan of the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office.
2010 mugshot of James Rainford.
Hilton and boyfriend Cy Waits were walking toward the courthouse around 1 p.m. Wednesday when Rainford lunged at the couple and grabbed Waits by the neck. News crews shadowing the socialite captured the scene on video.
One of Hilton’s bodyguards quickly subdued the 36-year-old man, who was turned over to police and jailed in lieu of $20,000 bail.
Rainford has prior run-ins with the heiress. He was arrested in 2010 after allegedly banging on the door of her home in October.
After the attack, Paris Hilton posted on her Twitter account, “That other psycho intruder just punched Cy in the back of the head as we were walking into the court house. So scary! 
”
Hilton was heading to the trial of Nathan Lee Parada, of Redlands, who is accused of trying to break into her home on Aug. 24.
At the time, the heiress wrote on her Twitter page that she “just got woken up to a guy trying to break into my house holding 2 big knifes (sic). Cops are here arresting him.”
Parada is charged with a felony count of attempted residential burglary. Jury selection in his trial wrapped up this morning.
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