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A teenager from Australia has appeared in court after allegedly defacing a large blue sculpture of a mythical creature by applying plastic eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, appeared via phone at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on that day, charged with a single charge of damaging property.

In a statement at the moment of the recent event, the municipal authorities explained that CCTV footage showed a individual placing artificial eyes on the artwork, which locals have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.

Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and told the judge she was unwell, as reported by news outlets, with the magistrate recommending her to secure a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.

A day after the reported event, the city leader stated that restoration to the popular public artwork would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without harming the art piece.

“This intentional vandalism to a cherished public artwork is unacceptable and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin said in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also disappointing to those members of our society who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”

She added the local government would pursue the “significant” repair costs from those accountable for the damage.

At the time the artwork was initially suggested, it drew varied responses from the area residents due to its price tag and design.

Costing A$136,000 ($89,000; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture depicts a mythical megafauna, with the creators inspired by an ancient anteater-like marsupial discovered in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.