Hilton 'stalker' pleads not guilty

A man accused of stalking Paris Hilton has pleaded not guilty to felony charges that could land him in jail for five years.

City News Service said 36-year-old James Rainford entered pleas in Los Angeles to two felony stalking charges and three misdemeanour counts of disobeying a court order to stay away from the socialite.

Rainford was arrested on July 4 after paparazzi recognised him outside Hilton’s Malibu home. It was his third arrest in less than a year related to Hilton.

Rainford is jailed on $150,000 bail. Jail records do not indicate whether he has a lawyer.

Rainford was released from jail in May after serving time for misdemeanour battery. Authorities say he had tried to grab Hilton’s then-boyfriend outside a courthouse earlier this year.