French Student Fined $465 in Singapore for Straw-licking Prank
WHO:
AP News - Prosecutors stated that immigration authorities will decide if Maximilien can keep his student pass in Singapore after considering all relevant factors.
AP News - Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, a 19-year-old French student.
AP News - Kalidass Murugayan, defense counsel for Maximilien.
AP News - IJooz, the company operating the juice vending machine.
WHAT:
DW.com - The direct cost of replacing the straws amounted to just 5 Singapore dollars, or around €3.30.
DW.com - The case attracted nationwide attention in Singapore.
DW.com - Maximilien could have faced several months in prison, a fine, or both after being convicted of disturbing public order.
AP News - Defense counsel Kalidass Murugayan said Maximilien has been living in Singapore without family support and expressed deep remorse for his actions.
AP News - Maximilien was fined 600 Singapore dollars ($465) after pleading guilty to a public nuisance charge.
AP News - The public nuisance charge carries a penalty of up to three months in prison.
AP News - Prosecutors sought a maximum fine of 2,000 Singapore dollars ($1,551).
AP News - Maximilien admitted to licking a straw from a vending machine and putting it back.
AP News - The court imposed the fine without a community-based sentence after considering mitigating factors.
WHERE:
AP News - The incident occurred at a shopping mall in Singapore.
AP News - Maximilien studies in a business school in Singapore.
WHEN:
AP News - The incident happened in March.
AP News - Maximilien was charged in April.
AP News - Prosecutors stated that Maximilien would be in France from September to December as part of his studies.
WHY:
DW.com - Maximilien's lawyer stated that he now understood that an apparently harmless prank could have far-reaching consequences.
AP News - Murugayan stated, “He is truly sorry for having caused all this trouble,” regarding Maximilien's feelings about the incident.
AP News - The act was described as a social media stunt intended for online followers.
AP News - Prosecutors noted the act risked undermining confidence in the hygiene of a commonly used vending machine.
HOW:
AP News - IJooz has stated it would upgrade its machines to include measures such as individually packaged straws and compartments that unlock only after the transaction is completed.
AP News - Maximilien filmed himself licking the straw and returning it to the vending machine.
AP News - IJooz filed a police report and sanitized the dispenser, replacing all 500 straws in the machine.
AP News - The company plans to upgrade its machines to include individually packaged straws and compartments that unlock only after a transaction is completed.
(UPDATED July 30, 2026 10:42 UTC)
In a case that captured nationwide attention in Singapore, a man named Maximilien faced potential prison time and fines after being convicted of disturbing public order. The direct cost of replacing the straws involved in the incident was just 5 Singapore dollars, which is about €3.30. Maximilien's lawyer emphasized that he now realizes how an apparently harmless prank can lead to serious consequences.
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(UPDATED July 30, 2026 08:48 UTC)
Prosecutors have announced that immigration authorities will determine whether Maximilien can retain his student pass in Singapore after reviewing all relevant factors. His defense counsel, Kalidass Murugayan, highlighted that Maximilien has been living without family support and expressed deep remorse for his actions, stating, “He is truly sorry for having caused all this trouble.” In a related development, IJooz plans to upgrade its machines to incorporate features like individually packaged straws and compartments that unlock only after a transaction is completed.
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(UPDATED July 30, 2026 07:55 UTC)
A 19-year-old French student named Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien has been fined 600 Singapore dollars, or about $465, after pleading guilty to a public nuisance charge for licking a straw from a vending machine and putting it back, an act he filmed as part of a social media stunt. The incident took place at a shopping mall in Singapore, where prosecutors highlighted the potential risk to public hygiene, prompting the vending machine company, IJooz, to file a police report and sanitize the dispenser. Moving forward, IJooz plans to upgrade its machines to include individually packaged straws and compartments that unlock only after a transaction is completed.