A COCA-COLA billionaire has been ordered to pay £8.5million for allegedly stroking a female employee’s legs while comforting her after her mum’s death.

Alkiviades "Alki" David, 50, was sued by former employee Chasity Jones, 42, who claims she was fired for refusing to engage in sexual acts with him.

3 Alki David was ordered to pay £8.5million for allegedly stroking a female employee’s legs Credit: Getty - Contributor

On Friday, a jury in California awarded Jones £2.3million in compensatory damages and a further £6million in punitive damages for committing sexual battery, reported LA Times.

David, whose family fortune comes from bottling Coca-Cola, is is also an entrepreneur who runs his own Hologram business as well as his own TV provider service.

He has since said the amount of money he is ordered to pay is ridiculous and insists he will not pay it.

The entrepreneur also has a business selling oil extracted from cannabis plants.

REFUSES TO PAY ORDERED AMOUNT

The trial, which lasted for two weeks, heard heated arguments from both David and Jones.

David has many outbursts in court during the trial, calling Jones "abhorrent" and saying she should "do something with her life".

He also got down on his knees and offered her attorneys his wallet.

David was accused of groping Jones by running his hands up her legs.

He was then accused of terminating her employment when she would not have sex with him.

Jones's attorney Lisa Bloom said Jones will suffer from PTSD for life because of what she went through while working for David.

Jones also claimed David brought a male stripper into the workplace to celebrate the birthday of one of his executives.

She said she found the stripper’s appearance offensive and considered it sexual harassment.

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Bloom told the courtroom: "This is a case about a sexual predator running loose in a company he controlled.

"She was fired because she refused to have sex with him."

Jones was fired by David in November 2016.

Despite the jury's findings David plans to appeal the verdict.

3 David has since said the amount of money he is ordered to pay is ridiculous and insists he will not pay it Credit: Getty - Contributor

3 The entrepreneur also has a business selling oil extracted from cannabis plants Credit: Alamy