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A teenager from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after reportedly vandalizing a large blue sculpture of a mythical creature by affixing googly eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, aged 19, appeared remotely at the local court in South Australia on that day, charged with one count of property damage.

Officials commented at the time of the September incident, the local council said that CCTV footage showed a individual putting fake eyes on the artwork, which locals have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.

The accused did not enter a plea and told the judge she was unwell, as reported by media sources, with the magistrate recommending her to find a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.

The following day the reported event, the city leader said that repairs to the much-loved community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without harming the art piece.

“This wilful damage to a valued community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those members of our society who have embraced Cast in Blue.”

The mayor added the local government would pursue the “significant” restoration expenses from those accountable for the damage.

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

Costing 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators inspired by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.