Prosecution to check if teen who licked iJooz straw will have student pass cancelled; case adjourned

SINGAPORE: A teenager who posted a video of himself licking a straw and returning it to an iJooz vending machine was meant to plead guilty on Monday (Jul 13), but the case was adjourned at the prosecution's request.

The prosecutor said she was checking with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on whether 19-year-old French national Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien would have his student pass cancelled upon conviction.

This may have an impact on his sentencing, said State Prosecuting Officer Sukhdev Kaur.

Maximilien faces one charge each of public nuisance and mischief over the incident at Goldhill Centre on Mar 12. He is accused of licking a straw, placing it back into the straw dispenser of an iJooz machine and posting a video of the act on his Instagram Story.

The act caused iJooz to replace all 500 straws in the dispenser, worth S$5 (US$3.90) in total, the charge states.

PROBATION POSSIBILITY?

Maximilien is represented by Mr Kalidass Murugaiyan and Mr Kanthan Raghavendra.

When asked by District Judge Kelly Ho, Mr Murugaiyan explained that his client was not in Singapore on an exchange programme, but as a student-pass holder.

Part of Maximilien's programme requires him to have a stint in France from September to the end of this year, said the lawyer.

When the judge asked how probation as sought by the defence would work in that situation, Mr Murugaiyan said the feasibility of probation could be assessed if a probation suitability report is called for.

He said he was in the process of working with Maximilien to see if he can come back for interviews at certain periods.

If he does not make the trip to France, he cannot complete the programme, said the lawyer.

Maximilien's school, ESSEC Business School, earlier said it was aware of the incident and that internal investigations were underway.

In response, Ms Kaur said the prosecution was checking with ICA on whether Maximilien's student pass would be cancelled upon conviction.

This may have an impact on his sentencing, and the prosecution will review its sentencing position pending ICA's reply, she said.

She asked for an adjournment of four to six weeks but did not object to a shorter adjournment of three weeks.

The guilty plea was fixed for Jul 30.

If convicted of mischief, Maximilien could be jailed for up to two years, fined, or both.

If convicted of public nuisance, he could be jailed for up to three months, fined up to S$2,000, or both.