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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 plastic eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, 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 moment of the recent event, the local council said that CCTV footage captured a individual placing fake eyes on the sculpture, which locals have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.

Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and told the judge she was unwell, according to news outlets, 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 alleged incident, the city leader said that restoration to the popular public artwork would be expensive as the stickers were impossible to be removed without damaging the sculpture.

“This intentional vandalism to a valued community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those members of our community who have embraced the Blue Blob.”

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

When the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew mixed reactions from the area residents due to its cost and design.

Priced at A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers influenced by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater found in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.