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A young person from the Land Down Under 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, aged 19, participated via phone at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on that day, facing with one count of property damage.

In a statement at the time of the September incident, the municipal authorities said that surveillance video captured a person putting fake eyes on the sculpture, which residents have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.

The accused did not enter a plea and told the judge she was ill, according to news outlets, with the magistrate recommending her to find a legal representative before her next court date in December.

A day after the reported event, the city leader said that restoration to the much-loved public artwork would be costly as the adhesive eyes were impossible to be detached without damaging the art piece.

“This wilful damage to a cherished community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those people of our society who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”

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

At the time the artwork was first proposed, it received mixed reactions from the area residents due to its cost and appearance.

Costing 136,000 Australian dollars (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture depicts a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an ancient anteater-like marsupial discovered in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.