Paris Hilton
© AFP Gabriel BouysLOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) - The millionaire heiress to the Hilton hotel empire looked close to tears as she wailed "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" just moments before receiving her sentence at downtown Los Angeles' Metropolitan Court.
Hilton must start her sentence at the Century Regional Detention Facility on June 5 or else serve a 90-day jail term.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Sauer said he was in no doubt that Hilton knew she had broken her parole by twice driving on a suspended license following her drink-drive conviction.
"In my opinion, there's no doubt she knew her driver's license was suspended," Sauer said.
Hilton, who testified that she had been told by her manager that she was allowed to drive, apologized to the judge before sentencing.
"I did what I was told. I would never just drive because I want to. I follow the law, I respect the law."
Paris' parents, Rick and Kathy Hilton, both looked visibly upset as the sentence was handed down to their daughter, one of the world's most photographed and famous women.
After the hearing, an outraged Kathy Hilton shouted at prosecutors: "You're pathetic!" before asking sarcastically: "Can I have your autograph?"
Paris Hilton
© AFP Gabriel BouysHilton's lawyer Howard Weitzman said he would appeal the sentence, which he described as "uncalled for, inappropriate and bordered on the ludicrous."
"It's clear she's been selectively targeted, in my opinion," Weitzman said.
But Los Angeles city attorney Rocky Delgadillo said in a statement "the ruling sends a clear message that in the City of Los Angeles no one is above the law."
Hilton's parole violation conviction came after she was caught driving on a suspended license in February following her no contest plea to drink-driving.
Prosecutors had warned on Thursday they would seek a jail sentence for the blonde style icon but it did not deter Hilton from testing the patience of the court by turning up for her hearing at least 15 minutes late.
Soberly dressed in a dark suit with a white blouse, with her blonde hair swept back in a pony tail, Hilton did not comment as she arrived, running a gauntlet of at least 60 paparazzi and reporters.
Builders on a construction site opposite the court-house shouted "Jail time!" to dozens of television crews and photographers who ringed the building in downtown Los Angeles.
Satellite television trucks crowded side streets and local news crews hovered overhead in helicopters, completing a surreal scene at the court, which normally deals with minor traffic violations.
Paris Hilton
© AFP Gabriel BouysProsecutors told the court Hilton had been stopped on January 15 by the California Highway Patrol and told that she was not allowed to be driving.
On that occasion, Hilton signed a police statement acknowledging that she was not supposed to drive, and she was let off with an informal warning.
But just over a month later she was hauled over again in Hollywood when spotted driving her 190,000-dollar Bentley Continental GTC at night with her headlights off.
Hilton's spokesman said his client was unaware she was violating her parole -- but prosecutors dismissed that line of argument, citing the earlier brush with traffic police in January.
Hilton had lost her license for alcohol-related reckless driving and was given 36 months probation.
The charges stemmed from her September 7 arrest after she was found driving her Mercedes with an alcohol level equal to the legal limit.
Court documents described her decision to repeatedly keep driving as a "flagrant" violation of court orders and demanded that she be given a custodial sentence.
A favorite target for tabloid gossip and the paparazzi, Hilton appeared in the reality television series "The Simple Life," and in 2003 an unauthorized sex video with her former boyfriend appeared on the Internet.
She ventured into music last year with a debut album and has had cameo roles in a handful of films, including the 2005 horror film "House of Wax."
©AFP