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A young person from Australia has appeared in court after reportedly vandalizing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by applying googly eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, aged 19, participated remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on that day, charged with one count of property damage.

In a statement at the time of the recent event, the municipal authorities explained that surveillance video showed a individual placing artificial eyes on the artwork, which residents have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.

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

A day after the alleged incident, the city leader said that repairs to the much-loved public artwork would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without damaging the sculpture.

“This intentional vandalism to a cherished public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin said in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those members of our society who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”

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

At the time the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew varied responses from the area residents due to its cost and design.

Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture represents a mythical megafauna, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial found in nearby caverns that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.