PUBLISHED ONApril 24, 2026 4:10 AMBYSean LerAn 18-year-old French teenager, who was seen on video licking a straw from an iJooz machine at Goldhill Centre, was charged in court on Friday (April 24).
Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, a student at Essec Business School, was charged with one count each of committing mischief and public nuisance.
According to charge sheets seen by AsiaOne, the alleged act of mischief took place at about 2pm on March 12, at Goldhill Centre along Thomson Road.
iJooz, which has about 1,500 machines islandwide as of January 2025, had to replace all 500 straws in the affected machine, at a total valued cost of $5.
It also implemented additional internal checks, inspections, straw replacements, and machine sanitation protocols in the wake of the incident.
For filming himself committing the mischief, editing it on Snapchat and posting the edited video onto his Instagram story, Maximilien was charged with public nuisance.
The 18-year-old, who was represented by lawyers Kalidass Murugaiyan and Kanthan Raghavendra, did not indicate how he would plead.
He was offered bail of $5,000 and his case will be heard again on May 22.
As Maximilien's parents are only arriving in Singapore later on Friday, a representative from his school is understood to be his bailor.
If found guilty of committing mischief, the 18-year-old could be jailed for up to two years, fined, or both.
The offence of public nuisance carries a fine of up to $2,000, imprisonment of up to three months, or both.
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