Overview
- The incident began on March 12 when 19‑year‑old Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien filmed himself removing a straw from an iJooz orange juice vending machine, licking part of it, returning it to the dispenser and later posting the edited clip to Instagram.
- The clip went viral, prompting iJooz to file a police report, sanitize the machine and replace all 500 straws as a precaution.
- Maximilien was charged in April with public nuisance and mischief, pleaded guilty, and on July 30 the State Courts fined him S$600 with the mischief charge taken into consideration.
- Prosecutors described the offence as at the lower end of seriousness because Maximilien retrieved the same straw himself and there was no evidence anyone else used it, and the judge cited practical barriers to probation when selecting a fine.
- iJooz plans machine upgrades such as individually wrapped straws and locked compartments that open after purchase, and the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority will decide separately whether to cancel his student pass.