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A young person from Australia has faced legal proceedings after allegedly vandalizing a large art piece of a legendary being by affixing googly eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, appeared via phone at the local court in South Australia on Tuesday, charged with a single charge of property damage.

Officials commented at the moment of the recent event, the local council said that CCTV footage captured a individual putting artificial eyes on the sculpture, which residents have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.

Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and informed the judge she was ill, according to media sources, with the judge advising her to secure a legal representative before her next court date in December.

The following day the alleged incident, the city leader stated that repairs to the much-loved community sculpture would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without harming the sculpture.

“This wilful damage to a cherished community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also disappointing to those people of our community who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”

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

At the time the sculpture was initially suggested, it received varied responses from the local community due to its price tag and appearance.

Costing 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork represents a mythical megafauna, with the creators inspired by an ancient anteater-like marsupial found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.