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A teenager from the Land Down Under has faced legal proceedings after reportedly vandalizing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by applying googly eyes to it.

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

In a statement at the moment of the recent event, the municipal authorities explained that surveillance video captured a individual putting artificial eyes on the sculpture, which locals have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.

Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and told the judge she was ill, as reported by news outlets, with the magistrate advising her to find a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.

The following day the alleged incident, the local mayor said that restoration to the popular community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without damaging the art piece.

“This intentional vandalism to a cherished public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those members of our society who have embraced Cast in Blue.”

She said the council would seek the “substantial” restoration expenses from those accountable for the damage.

At the time the sculpture was initially suggested, it received mixed reactions from the local community due to its cost and appearance.

Priced at A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater discovered in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.