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A young person from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after reportedly vandalizing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by affixing plastic eyes to it.

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

Officials commented at the moment of the recent event, the local council explained that CCTV footage captured a person placing artificial eyes on the artwork, which residents have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.

The accused made no plea and informed the court she was unwell, according to news outlets, with the magistrate recommending her to secure a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.

The following day the alleged incident, the city leader stated that repairs to the popular public artwork would be expensive as the stickers could not be removed without damaging the art piece.

“This intentional vandalism to a valued community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin said in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those members of our society who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”

The mayor added the local government would seek the “significant” restoration expenses from those accountable for the vandalism.

At the time the sculpture was initially suggested, it received mixed reactions from the area residents due to its price tag and design.

Priced at A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture represents a mythical megafauna, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an ancient anteater-like marsupial discovered in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.