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A young person from Australia has appeared in court after reportedly defacing a large blue sculpture of a mythical creature by affixing googly eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, participated remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, facing with one count of damaging property.

In a statement at the time of the recent event, the local council explained that CCTV footage showed a person putting artificial eyes on the sculpture, which residents have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.

Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and informed the court she was unwell, according to news outlets, with the magistrate advising her to find a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.

The following day the reported event, the local mayor stated that repairs to the popular public artwork would be expensive as the adhesive eyes were impossible to be removed without harming the art piece.

“This intentional vandalism to a valued public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those members of our society who have embraced the Blue Blob.”

The mayor added the council would seek the “significant” restoration expenses from those responsible for the vandalism.

At the time the sculpture was initially suggested, it received varied responses from the area residents due to its price tag and appearance.

Costing A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture depicts a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.