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A young person from Australia has faced legal proceedings after reportedly vandalizing a large blue sculpture of a legendary being by affixing googly eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, appeared remotely at the local court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, facing with one count of property damage.

In a statement at the time of the September incident, the municipal authorities said that CCTV footage captured a person placing artificial eyes on the sculpture, which locals have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.

Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and told the judge she was unwell, as reported by news outlets, with the judge recommending her to secure a legal representative before her next court date in the final month of the year.

A day after the reported event, the city leader said that restoration to the popular community sculpture would be costly as the stickers were impossible to be removed 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 innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those people of our community who have embraced Cast in Blue.”

The mayor said the council would pursue the “significant” repair costs from those accountable for the vandalism.

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

Priced at A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture depicts a mythical megafauna, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater discovered in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.