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French Student Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien Fined 600 Singapore Dollars for Licking Vending Machine Straw

A Singapore court fined 19-year-old French student Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien 600 Singapore dollars after he pleaded guilty to a public nuisance charge. The fine follows a viral social media stunt in which Maximilien licked a straw from an orange juice vending machine and returned it to the dispenser. While the student intended to use the straw for his own drink, the act caused public concern regarding hygiene. The company operating the machine, iJooz, was forced to replace all 500 straws in the dispenser following the incident. Defense counsel Kalidass Murugaiyan noted that Maximilien expressed deep remorse for the prank. The court decided on a fine rather than a prison sentence or probation due to the student's upcoming travel to France for his studies. Immigration authorities will now determine if Maximilien can retain his student pass in Singapore.

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