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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 applying googly 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 moment of the September incident, the local council said that CCTV footage captured a individual putting artificial eyes on the sculpture, which residents have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.

The accused did not enter a plea and told the court she was unwell, according to news outlets, with the magistrate 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 local mayor said that repairs to the much-loved public artwork would be costly as the stickers were impossible to be detached without damaging the art piece.

“This intentional vandalism to a valued public artwork is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those members of our community who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”

She said the council would seek the “substantial” repair costs from those accountable for the vandalism.

When the sculpture was initially suggested, it received mixed reactions from the local community due to its cost and design.

Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture represents a mythical megafauna, with the creators influenced by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater discovered in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.