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A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after reportedly vandalizing a large art piece of a mythical creature by applying googly eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, participated remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on that day, charged with one count of property damage.

In a statement at the time of the recent event, the municipal authorities explained that surveillance video captured a individual placing fake eyes on the sculpture, which locals have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.

The accused did not enter a plea and informed the court she was ill, as reported by media sources, with the judge advising her to find a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in December.

The following day the reported event, the local mayor said that restoration to the popular community sculpture would be expensive as the stickers could not be detached without damaging the sculpture.

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

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

At the time the sculpture was first proposed, it drew varied responses from the local community due to its cost and appearance.

Priced at A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork depicts a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers influenced by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.