French student fined S$600 in Singapore for licking vending‑machine straw
Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, a 19‑year‑old French student at ESSEC Business School in Singapore, posted an Instagram video on 12 March showing himself licking a straw from an iJooz orange‑juice vending machine at Goldhill Centre and putting the straw back into the dispenser. The act was reported to police, and he was charged with public nuisance.
Maximilien pleaded guilty at his hearing on 30 July. Judge Kelly Ho sentenced him to a fine of S$600 (about US$465 or €406) and did not impose any custodial or community‑service order, noting his age and the low severity of the offence. Prosecutors had sought only the fine, warning that the stunt could undermine confidence in public‑hygiene standards. The company iJooz replaced all 500 straws in the machine and said future units will use individually packaged straws with locked compartments. Immigration officials will decide whether Maximilien can retain his student pass.
The case sparked nationwide media attention in Singapore, illustrating the city‑state’s strict enforcement of public order and hygiene regulations.
Entities: Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien · ESSEC Business School · Goldhill Centre · Kelly Ho · Singapore · Singapore Court · Singapore Courts · Singapore Supreme Court · iJooz
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 8 SOURCES] Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, a 19‑year‑old French student, licked a straw from an iJooz orange‑juice vending machine in Singapore. (All articles)
- [● 8 SOURCES] Public nuisance in Singapore can carry a penalty of up to S$2,000 fine or up to three months' imprisonment. (All articles)
- [● 8 SOURCES] He pleaded guilty to one count of public nuisance in a Singapore court. (All articles)
- [● 8 SOURCES] The court fined him S$600 (about $465). (All articles)
- [● 2 SOURCES] He posted the video of the act on Instagram with the caption “city is not safe”. (e48c40bd-4662-42d7-991d-25bb48558cfb, 79eee1ea-5337-4535-b001-ce0bfec9400b)
- [● 8 SOURCES] The iJooz company replaced all 500 straws in the vending machine after the incident. (All articles)
- [● 8 SOURCES] He avoided imprisonment, receiving only the fine. (All articles)
- [● 8 SOURCES] The damage recorded by the court was S$5 (about €3.30). (All articles)