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A young person from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after reportedly vandalizing a sizable blue sculpture of a mythical creature by affixing plastic eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, appeared via phone at the local court in South Australia on Tuesday, charged with one count of property damage.

Officials commented at the moment of the recent event, the municipal authorities said that surveillance video showed a individual placing artificial eyes on the sculpture, which locals have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.

The accused made no plea and told the court she was unwell, according to media sources, with the magistrate recommending her to secure a legal representative before her next court date in the final month of the year.

A day after the reported event, the city leader said that restoration to the popular public artwork would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without harming the sculpture.

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

The mayor said the council would seek the “significant” repair costs from those accountable for the damage.

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

Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the sculpture depicts a mythical megafauna, with the creators influenced by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial discovered in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.