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A teenager from Australia has appeared in court after allegedly vandalizing a large blue sculpture of a legendary being by affixing plastic eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, 19 years old, appeared remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on that day, charged with a single charge of damaging property.

Officials commented at the time of the recent event, the local council explained that CCTV footage showed a person placing artificial eyes on the sculpture, which residents have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.

The accused did not enter a plea and told the judge she was unwell, as reported by news outlets, with the judge recommending her to secure a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in December.

A day after the alleged incident, the local mayor said that restoration to the much-loved community sculpture would be expensive as the stickers were impossible to be detached without harming the art piece.

“This wilful damage to a valued community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin said in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those members of our community who have embraced Cast in Blue.”

She added the council would pursue the “substantial” repair costs from those accountable for the vandalism.

When the sculpture was initially suggested, it received mixed reactions from the local community due to its price tag and design.

Costing 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture depicts a mythical megafauna, with the creators inspired by an ancient marsupial ant-eater discovered in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.