A man who admitted finding his way into a bank server has walked free from court after judges decided that he had not done anything wrong.
The unnamed Breton was acquitted by the criminal court of Rennes in the appropriately named Ille-et-Vilaine.
Judges said that the case lacked any mens rea, which in France means he can walk free.
According to Nouvelobs, the man's brief Sipa Laudic-Hélène Baron said that in 2008, the man, who was unemployed, was trying to avoid premium rate numbers using Skype.
By entering a random number, then dialing the code 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, he arrived at the debt service of the Bank of France.
He did not know where he was because no message showed him.
The Bank of France detected his "hack" and called Inspector Jacques Clouseau who fell on the man with the full weight of the lure.
Finding the hacker was not difficult as he had logged his name and address on Skype. Two years later the police tailed the main to Paris where they arrested him.
Apparently they were furious as they had booked some of the finest computer hacking minds in the whole of France to examine the man's server and reveal everything about his elaborate hacking scheme.
When he showed them his ancient and cheap computer they could not believe that this was the gear he used to break the security of one of France's top banks.
He showed them how he did it but they still insisted on charging him with hacking.
To which he says: "I kneow Ze bink was buaying reubbed because I was engaged in my sworn duty as a police officer. I arrest yeuw all in the neme of the leahw! Elementary. And I would like to take a closer look at yeour bawls."
"My what?" I cagied.
He says: "Yeour bawls. Yeour big, brass bawls. I - I find your accent quite funny. Where are you fwam? Don't try to be fwunny with me, monsieur! I arrest yeow for making lewd and suggestive remarks to an official of Ze French government."
I said "why don't yeouw arrest me for for being British?"
And he says, "that is what I have been saying you idiot!"
Crikey, I get that a lot.