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A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after reportedly defacing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by affixing plastic eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, participated remotely at the local court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, charged with a single charge of damaging property.

Officials commented at the time of the recent event, the local council said that CCTV footage captured a person placing fake eyes on the sculpture, which residents have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.

The accused did not enter a plea and told the judge she was ill, as reported by media sources, with the judge recommending her to find a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in December.

The following day the alleged incident, the city leader stated that repairs to the much-loved public artwork would be costly as the stickers were impossible to be removed without harming the art piece.

“This intentional vandalism to a cherished community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin said in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those members of our society who have embraced Cast in Blue.”

She said the council would seek the “significant” restoration expenses from those accountable for the damage.

When the artwork was initially suggested, it received varied responses from the local community due to its price tag and design.

Costing A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork represents a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers influenced by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial discovered in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.