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A teenager from Australia has appeared in court after reportedly vandalizing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by applying googly eyes to it.

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

In a statement at the moment of the September incident, the municipal authorities said that CCTV footage showed a individual putting fake eyes on the sculpture, which residents have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.

The accused did not enter a plea and informed the judge she was ill, as reported by media sources, with the judge 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 community sculpture would be costly as the stickers could not be detached without damaging the art piece.

“This intentional vandalism to a cherished public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those members of our community who have embraced Cast in Blue.”

The mayor said the local government would pursue the “substantial” restoration expenses from those accountable for the damage.

At the time the sculpture was first proposed, it drew mixed reactions from the local community due to its cost and appearance.

Priced at A$136,000 ($89,000; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an ancient anteater-like marsupial found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.