SINGAPORE -- A French teenager was fined in Singapore Thursday after pleading guilty to a public nuisance charge for a straw-licking stunt that landed him in hot water in the city state. Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 19, was handed a Sg$600 (US$465) fine after admitting to posting to social media a video of himself putting a straw he had licked back into the dispenser on an orange juice vending machine. The clip went viral on Instagram shortly after the incident on March 12, triggering a backlash that led to his arrest in Singapore, which is known for its strict enforcement of public order and hygiene rules. Handing down the sentence, Judge Kelly Ho said given Maximilien’s “age and nature of the offence,” alternatives like probation or a community-based sentence would not be imposed. Prosecutors agreed to the defence’s proposal for a fine, saying the offence was at the “lower end” of its seriousness and while hygiene was compromised, no member of the public used the straw, so there “was no evidence of harm.” They added that Maximilien “pleaded guilty at the earliest possible opportunity.” Wearing a dark suit and white shirt without a tie, Maximilien was seen standing calmly in the dock while the judge pronounced the sentence. His parents were seated in the gallery. They left the court shortly aftwards and declined to speak to reporters. His defence counsel Kalidass Murugaiyan earlier argued for a fine in mitigation of sentence as opposed to probation. Maximilien’s family had trouble getting a guardian in Singapore and a community-based sentence was logistically not possible as he had to go back to France in September to continue his studies, the lawyer said. “He is fully sorry for having caused all this trouble,” Murugaiyan told the judge, adding that he had been counselled by his family. Singapore is known for its no-nonsense approach to public stunts. Last year it deported an Australian man at the end of a nine-day jail term for rushing film star Ariana Grande during the Asian premier of “Wicked: For Good.” By Martin Abbugao
