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A young person from Australia has appeared in court after reportedly defacing a large art piece of a mythical creature by affixing plastic eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, 19 years old, participated remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on that day, charged with a single charge of damaging property.

Officials commented at the time of the recent event, the municipal authorities explained that surveillance video captured a person putting artificial eyes on the artwork, which locals have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.

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

A day after the alleged incident, the local mayor said that repairs to the popular community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes were impossible to be detached without harming the art piece.

“This wilful damage to a valued community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said 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.”

She said the council would seek the “substantial” restoration expenses from those responsible for the damage.

When the artwork was first proposed, 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 depicts a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers influenced by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.