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A young person from Australia has appeared in court after allegedly vandalizing a sizable blue sculpture of a mythical creature by applying plastic eyes to it.

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

Officials commented at the moment of the recent event, the local council said that surveillance video showed a person placing fake eyes on the sculpture, which residents have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.

The accused did not enter a plea and informed the court she was ill, as reported by news outlets, with the magistrate advising her to secure a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in December.

The following day the alleged incident, the local mayor stated that repairs to the much-loved community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without damaging the sculpture.

“This wilful damage to a valued public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also disappointing to those members of our society who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”

She said the council would pursue the “substantial” repair costs from those responsible for the damage.

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

Priced at A$136,000 ($89,000; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the artwork represents a mythical megafauna, with the creators inspired by an ancient anteater-like marsupial found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.