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A young person from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after reportedly vandalizing a large art piece of a legendary being by applying plastic eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, aged 19, appeared via phone at the local court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, facing with a single charge of property damage.

In a statement at the moment of the recent event, the local council explained that surveillance video showed a person putting fake eyes on the artwork, which residents have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.

Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and informed the judge she was ill, as reported by news outlets, with the judge recommending her to secure a legal representative before her next court date in December.

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

“This wilful damage to a valued public artwork is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those people of our community who have embraced the Blue Blob.”

The mayor added the local government would seek the “significant” repair costs from those responsible for the vandalism.

When the sculpture was first proposed, it received mixed reactions from the area residents due to its cost and appearance.

Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the artwork depicts a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an ancient anteater-like marsupial found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.