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A young person from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after allegedly vandalizing a large art piece of a mythical creature by affixing googly eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, aged 19, appeared remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on that day, facing with one count of damaging property.

Officials commented at the moment of the recent event, the municipal authorities explained that CCTV footage captured a person putting fake eyes on the sculpture, which locals have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.

Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and told the judge she was unwell, as reported by media sources, with the magistrate advising her to find a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in December.

A day after the alleged incident, the local mayor said that restoration to the much-loved community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without damaging the art piece.

“This intentional vandalism to a cherished public artwork is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those members of our community who have welcomed 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 mixed reactions from the local community due to its price tag and design.

Costing 136,000 Australian dollars (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the artwork depicts a mythical megafauna, with the creators influenced by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.