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A young person from the Land Down Under has faced legal proceedings after reportedly vandalizing a sizable blue sculpture of a legendary being by applying plastic eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, aged 19, appeared remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, charged with one count of damaging property.

In a statement at the time of the recent event, the local council said that surveillance video captured a individual placing fake eyes on the sculpture, which locals have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.

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

The following day the reported event, the local mayor stated that restoration to the popular community sculpture would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without damaging the sculpture.

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

She said the council would pursue the “significant” repair costs from those responsible for the damage.

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

Costing A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture depicts a legendary giant animal, with the creators inspired by an ancient anteater-like marsupial found in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.