Maurice, a rooster who has been on trial for excessive noise since July, was found not guilty by a court in the French city of Rochefort.

The plaintiffs, a couple of 68-year-olds from Oleron, western France, who sued the cock and its owner for waking them up at dawn, will still not be able to sleep in and must pay €1,000 ($1,100) in damages as well as their legal fees, the judge ruled.