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

The 19-year-old, aged 19, appeared via phone at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on Tuesday, charged with one count of property damage.

Officials commented at the time of the recent event, the local council explained that CCTV footage showed a person placing artificial eyes on the sculpture, which residents have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.

The accused did not enter a plea and informed the judge she was unwell, as reported by news outlets, with the magistrate advising 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 repairs to the much-loved public artwork would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without harming the sculpture.

“This intentional vandalism to a valued community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those people of our society who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”

The mayor said the local government would pursue the “significant” restoration expenses from those responsible for the vandalism.

At the time the artwork was initially suggested, it received varied responses from the local community due to its price tag and appearance.

Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the artwork represents a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an ancient marsupial ant-eater discovered in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.