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A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after allegedly vandalizing a large art piece of a legendary being by affixing plastic eyes to it.

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

In a statement at the time of the September incident, the local council explained that CCTV footage showed a individual placing artificial eyes on the sculpture, which residents have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.

Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and informed the judge she was ill, according to media sources, with the judge recommending her to find a lawyer before her next court date in the final month of the year.

A day after the reported event, the city leader stated that repairs to the popular community sculpture would be expensive as the adhesive eyes were impossible to be removed without damaging the art piece.

“This intentional vandalism to a cherished public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those people of our society who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”

The mayor added the local government would seek the “significant” repair costs from those responsible for the vandalism.

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

Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the artwork represents a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial found in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.