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A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after allegedly vandalizing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by applying plastic eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, 19 years old, appeared remotely at the local court in South Australia on that day, facing with a single charge of damaging property.

Officials commented at the moment of the September incident, the local council said that surveillance video showed a person placing artificial eyes on the sculpture, which residents have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.

The accused made no plea and told the judge she was ill, according to media sources, with the judge advising her to secure a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in December.

A day after the reported event, the city leader said that repairs to the popular community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without damaging the sculpture.

“This wilful damage to a cherished public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those members of our community who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”

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

At the time the sculpture was first proposed, it received mixed reactions from the area residents due to its cost and design.

Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers influenced by an ancient anteater-like marsupial discovered in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.