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A young person from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after allegedly defacing a large blue sculpture of a mythical creature by applying googly eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, appeared remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on Tuesday, charged with one count of property damage.

Officials commented at the time of the recent event, the municipal authorities explained that CCTV footage showed a individual placing fake eyes on the sculpture, which locals have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.

The accused did not enter a plea and informed the court she was unwell, according to news outlets, with the magistrate advising her to secure a lawyer before her next court date in December.

A day after the reported event, the city leader stated that restoration to the popular public artwork would be costly as the stickers could not be detached without damaging the sculpture.

“This wilful damage to a valued community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those people of our society who have embraced Cast in Blue.”

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

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

Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture depicts a mythical megafauna, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.