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A teenager from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after reportedly vandalizing a large art piece of a mythical creature by affixing googly eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, aged 19, appeared via phone at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on that day, charged with a single charge of property damage.

Officials commented at the moment of the recent event, the municipal authorities said that surveillance video showed a individual putting artificial eyes on the sculpture, which locals have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.

The accused did not enter a plea and told the judge she was unwell, according to media sources, 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 local mayor said that restoration to the popular community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes were impossible to be removed without damaging the sculpture.

“This intentional vandalism to a valued public artwork is unacceptable and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin said in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those members of our community who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”

She added the council would pursue the “significant” restoration expenses from those accountable for the vandalism.

At the time the artwork was first proposed, it received varied responses from the local community due to its price tag and design.

Costing A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the sculpture depicts a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an ancient marsupial ant-eater discovered in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.