An American man who sued his ex-wife’s lover for breaking up their marriage has been awarded $750,000 (£605,000).

Kevin Howard, from North Carolina, won the judgement against the other man for “alienation of affections”.

Mr Howard and his wife had been married for 12 years when she asked for a divorce, a request Mr Howard said was the “hardest thing [I’ve] ever had to face”.

“It was like someone calling you and telling you that a family member had tragically died,” he told WITN.

While Mr Howard’s ex-wife had originally told him she wanted a divorce because he worked too much, a private investigator later discovered evidence of his wife’s affair.

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According to Mr Howard, the man was intentionally trying to destroy his marriage, as he had come to the couple’s house and shared dinner with them.

Mr Howard, who won the case in August, said going to court was about more than money: “I believe in the sanctity of marriage.”

”Other families should see what the consequences are to not only breaking the vow to whatever religion you subscribe to, but also your legal responsibilities.”

Alienation of affection laws, also known as “homewrecker” laws, exist in just a few states and allow a case to be brought to court by a spouse against another person for “purposefully interfering with the marital relationship,” according to Cornell Law School.

In addition to North Carolina, alienation of affection laws currently exist in Hawaii, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah.

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According to legal resource website HG Experts, the ability to sue a third party originally stemmed from antiquated laws that deemed a wife the personal property of her husband.