French teen in Singapore straw-licking case to enter plea

SINGAPORE: A French teen facing criminal charges in Singapore for a straw-licking stunt will enter a plea next month in a case that could land him in jail on conviction, a court heard Friday.

Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, who turned 19 on Thursday, is accused of posting to social media a video of himself putting a straw he had licked back into the dispenser on an orange juice vending machine.

His clip went viral and triggered a backlash that led to his arrest in Singapore, which has a reputation for not tolerating bad behaviour.

His lawyer told a district court on Friday that his client – who was not present at the hearing – would enter a plea on the afternoon of July 13.

Maximilien, who is studying in Singapore, is out on bail.

He had uploaded the video on Instagram knowing that it “would or would probably cause annoyance to the public”, according to court documents detailing the charges.

If convicted of causing a public nuisance, he could receive a jail term of up to three months and a fine.

A second charge of committing mischief said Maximilien knew that he was “likely to cause wrongful loss or damage” to iJooz, the company operating the vending machine, which had to replace all 500 straws in the dispenser.

The mischief offence carries a punishment of up to two years in jail on conviction and a fine, according to the charge sheet.

Both offences were allegedly committed on March 12.

In late April, the court allowed Maximilien to leave Singapore for a three-week internship in Manila, a requirement for him to graduate. He has since returned.