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A young person from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after allegedly vandalizing a sizable blue sculpture of a mythical creature by applying googly eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, aged 19, participated via phone at the local court in South Australia on that day, charged with one count of damaging property.

Officials commented at the time of the recent event, the local council explained that surveillance video showed a individual putting artificial eyes on the sculpture, which locals have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.

The accused did not enter a plea and told the court she was ill, as reported by news outlets, with the judge recommending her to find a lawyer before her next court date in the final month of the year.

A day after the reported event, the city leader said that repairs to the much-loved community sculpture would be costly as the stickers could not be removed without harming the art piece.

“This intentional vandalism to a valued public artwork is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those people of our community who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”

The mayor added the council would seek the “substantial” repair costs from those responsible for the vandalism.

When the artwork was first proposed, it received mixed reactions from the local community due to its cost and appearance.

Costing 136,000 Australian dollars (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators inspired by an ancient anteater-like marsupial discovered in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.