A California jury has ordered Bill Cosby to pay $19.25 million (£14.37 million) in damages to former waitress Donna Motsinger after finding him liable in a civil sexual assault case stemming from an alleged incident in 1972.

The verdict, delivered in Santa Monica, marks a significant legal ruling in one of the latest civil claims brought against thedisgraced entertainer, whose legacy has been overshadowed by multiple sexual misconduct allegations.

The jury found Cosby liable for drugging and assaulting Motsinger more than 50 years ago. The award includes compensatory damages, with additional punitive damages expected to be clarified following the ruling.

Donna Motsinger is a former waitress who worked in the Sausalito area of California in the early 1970s. According to court records and testimony, shemet Cosby while working at a restaurantand later spent time with him socially.

Now in her 80s,Motsinger filed her lawsuitin 2023 after changes to California law allowed older claims of sexual assault to proceed beyond the traditional statute of limitations. Her case is one of several historic allegations that have been revived in recent years under expanded legal provisions aimed at supporting survivors.

The jury returned with a $19 MILLION verdict against Bill Cosby on Monday, in a civil trial involving allegations dating back more than 5 decades.Donna Motsinger claims Cosby drugged & raped her in 1972 after meeting at a restaurant in Sausalitopic.twitter.com/LIc4O286uk

During the trial, Motsinger alleged that Cosby gave her a drink along with apill, which she believed to be an aspirin. She testified that the substance caused her to lose consciousness. She further claimed that she was sexually assaulted while incapacitated.

Her legal team argued that the incident had lasting consequences, both emotionally and psychologically, and formed the basis of the damages sought in the civil case.

The allegations date back to 1972 and were assessed by the jury based on the evidence and testimony presented during the proceedings.

The civil trial was held in Santa Monica, California, where jurors heard arguments from both sides before reaching a verdict after approximately three days of deliberation. The jury found Cosby liable for the alleged assault and awarded $19.25 million (£14.37 million) in compensatory damages.

Source: International Business Times UK