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A young person from Australia has appeared in court after reportedly vandalizing a sizable blue sculpture of a legendary being by affixing plastic eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, 19 years old, participated via phone at the local court in the state of South Australia on that day, charged with one count of damaging property.

Officials commented at the time of the September incident, the local council explained that surveillance video showed a individual placing fake eyes on the artwork, which residents have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.

The accused made no plea and told the court she was ill, as reported by news outlets, with the magistrate advising her to find 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 repairs to the popular public artwork would be expensive as the adhesive eyes were impossible to be removed without damaging the sculpture.

“This intentional vandalism to a cherished community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those people of our society who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”

The mayor added the local government would seek the “significant” restoration expenses from those responsible for the vandalism.

When the sculpture was first proposed, it received mixed reactions from the area residents due to its price tag and appearance.

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