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A young person from Australia has appeared in court after allegedly defacing a large blue sculpture of a mythical creature by affixing googly eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, participated via phone at the local court in South Australia on Tuesday, facing with a single charge of property damage.

Officials commented at the time of the recent event, the municipal authorities explained that CCTV footage captured a person placing artificial eyes on the sculpture, which locals have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.

The accused made no plea and told the judge she was ill, according to media sources, with the magistrate recommending her to find a legal representative before her next court date in the final month of the year.

The following day the reported event, the local mayor said that repairs to the much-loved community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes were impossible to be removed without harming the sculpture.

“This wilful damage to a valued community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those people of our community who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”

The mayor added the council would pursue the “significant” repair costs from those responsible for the damage.

At the time the artwork was initially suggested, it drew mixed reactions from the area residents due to its cost and design.

Costing A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an ancient anteater-like marsupial discovered in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.