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A young person from the Land Down Under has faced legal proceedings after allegedly defacing a large blue sculpture of a mythical creature by affixing plastic eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, appeared via phone at the local court in South Australia on that day, charged with a single charge of damaging property.

Officials commented at the moment of the recent event, the local council said that surveillance video captured a person putting artificial eyes on the artwork, which locals have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.

The accused did not enter a plea and informed the judge she was ill, according to media sources, with the judge recommending her to secure a legal representative before her next court date in December.

A day after the alleged incident, the city leader said that restoration to the much-loved public artwork would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without damaging the art piece.

“This intentional vandalism to a valued public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in September. “It is not harmless fun, 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” repair costs from those responsible for the damage.

When the artwork was first proposed, it received varied responses from the local community due to its cost and appearance.

Costing A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators inspired by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.