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A teenager from Australia has appeared in court after allegedly vandalizing a large blue sculpture of a mythical creature by applying googly eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, appeared remotely at the local court in the state of South Australia on that day, facing with a single charge of property damage.

In a statement at the moment of the recent event, the local council said that surveillance video showed a individual putting fake eyes on the artwork, which locals have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.

Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and informed the judge she was unwell, as reported by news outlets, with the magistrate advising her to find a lawyer before her next court date in December.

A day after the alleged incident, the city leader stated that repairs to the much-loved public artwork would be costly as the stickers could not be detached without harming the art piece.

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

The mayor added the local government would pursue the “substantial” repair costs from those accountable for the damage.

At the time the sculpture was initially suggested, it received mixed reactions from the local community due to its price tag and design.

Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.