Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, a 19-year-old French national and ESSEC Business School student, faces mischief and public nuisance charges for licking a straw from an iJooz vending machine at Goldhill Centre on March 12, 2026, then posting the video on social media [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
The incident forced the company to replace all 500 straws in the dispenser, costing about S$5 (US$3.90) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Prosecutors had sought an adjournment on July 13 to check with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) whether Maximilien's student pass would be cancelled if convicted, which could affect sentencing decisions [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. State Prosecuting Officer Sukhdev Kaur explained, "The prosecution was checking with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority on whether French national Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien’s student pass would be cancelled if he is convicted." [2]
Maximilien holds a student pass and must complete part of his ESSEC program in France from September to December 2026. His lawyers are exploring probation options and whether he could return from France for interviews if required. Lawyer Kalidass Murugaiyan said, "If he does not make the trip to France, he cannot complete the programme." [1]
If convicted, Maximilien faces up to two years' jail, a fine, or both on the mischief charge. The public nuisance charge carries penalties of up to three months’ jail and a fine of up to $2,000, or both [2, 3, 4]. Prosecutor Sukhdev Kaur did not object to a three-week adjournment instead of the originally requested four to six weeks [1, 5].
The court adjourned the case pending ICA’s review of the student pass status on July 13. Maximilien is expected to enter a guilty plea when the case resumes on July 30, 2026 [2, 3, 4, 5].
