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A young person from the Land Down Under has faced legal proceedings after allegedly vandalizing a large art piece of a mythical creature by applying googly eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, 19 years old, appeared via phone at the local court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, charged with one count of property damage.

Officials commented at the time of the recent event, the municipal authorities explained that CCTV footage captured a individual placing fake eyes on the artwork, which locals have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.

The accused did not enter a plea and told the judge she was unwell, according to news outlets, with the magistrate recommending her to find a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.

The following day the alleged incident, the local mayor said that restoration to the popular community sculpture would be costly as the stickers could not be detached without harming the sculpture.

“This intentional vandalism to a valued public artwork is inappropriate 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 embraced Cast in Blue.”

She said the local government would pursue the “significant” restoration expenses from those responsible for the vandalism.

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

Costing A$136,000 (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”.