Teen who licked iJooz straw fined $600

SINGAPORE – The teen who filmed himself licking a straw from an orange juice vending machine was given a fine of $600 on July 30.

Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 19, pleaded guilty to one count of being a public nuisance.

He was previously charged with committing mischief and being a public nuisance.

The court heard that Didier was at Goldhill Centre in Thomson Road on March 12, where he licked a straw from an iJooz machine before putting it back in the straw dispenser.

Maximilien also filmed himself committing the act and posted it on social media, causing an uproar.

Court documents stated that iJooz, known for its vending machines that serve freshly squeezed orange juice, had to replace all 500 straws in the dispenser after the incident.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Maximilian Chew sought a fine for Maximilien, as his act was deliberate and planned.

However, he noted that the teen later retrieved the straw for his own use after filming the video, so no member of the public used the contaminated straw.

Maximilien was originally supposed to plead guilty on July 13, but the prosecution had asked for an adjournment because it was awaiting a response from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority about whether his student pass would be cancelled upon conviction.

For being a public nuisance, an offender can be jailed for up to three months, fined up to $2,000, or both.