Jilted husband wins £7 million lawsuit in 'alienation of affection' case

A judge has awarded a North Carolina man nearly £7 million in damages from a man who had an affair with his wife.

Keith King, 48, sued his wife's lover and has been awarded £6.7 million ($8.8 million) from the judge after citing an obscure law.

"To me that was the most important thing, the most sacred thing — my family," he said. "Every time he knew I was out of town, he would come into town."

North Carolina is one of only six US states that allows a jilted spouse to sue for "alienation of affection."

King said he found out his wife, Danielle, 33, was cheating on him with Francisco Huizar in 2015 after inspecting her phone.

"I called him from her phone and I said, 'She's a married woman, leave her alone. Don't you ever contact her again,'" King told Inside Edition.

King goes on to say the affair continued for months in secret until she moved out of their home last year. When King went to his wife's new apartment he was shocked to find the Huizar there.

"She's my wife man — she's my wife!" King says in footage of the confrontation.

"I felt like I just witnessed her die," he said of confronting her lover.

Danielle claims King was a control freak who made her dye her hair blonde and work without pay, but he calls her claims "100 percent false."

King says he considers the £6.7 million award to be a hollow victory because he'd give anything to have his old life back.

"There isn't a dollar amount that you can put on it for what I think my family's worth," he said.

Huizar says he plans to appeal.