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A teenager from Australia has appeared in court after reportedly vandalizing a sizable blue sculpture of a legendary being by affixing plastic eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, aged 19, participated via phone at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, facing with a single charge of damaging property.

Officials commented at the time of the September incident, the municipal authorities said that surveillance video captured a individual putting artificial eyes on the sculpture, which residents have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.

The accused made no plea and informed the judge she was unwell, as reported by news outlets, with the judge recommending her to find a legal representative before her next court date in December.

The following day the alleged incident, the local mayor stated that repairs to the popular community sculpture would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without damaging the sculpture.

“This intentional vandalism to a valued community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those members of our society who have embraced Cast in Blue.”

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

When the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew mixed reactions from the local community due to its cost and appearance.

Costing 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater discovered in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.