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A young person from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after allegedly defacing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by applying plastic eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, appeared via phone at the local court in the state of South Australia on that day, charged with one count of property damage.

In a statement at the time of the recent event, the local council said that surveillance video showed a individual placing artificial eyes on the sculpture, which locals have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.

The accused made no plea and told the judge she was ill, as reported by media sources, with the judge advising her to secure a legal representative before her next court date in December.

A day after the reported event, the city leader stated that restoration to the much-loved community sculpture would be expensive as the adhesive eyes were impossible to be removed without damaging the sculpture.

“This wilful damage to a valued community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those people of our society who have embraced Cast in Blue.”

The mayor said the council would seek the “significant” restoration expenses from those accountable for the vandalism.

When the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew mixed reactions from the area residents due to its cost and design.

Costing A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the artwork represents a mythical megafauna, with the creators inspired by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.