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A teenager from the Land Down Under has faced legal proceedings after allegedly defacing a large blue sculpture of a mythical creature by applying plastic eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, aged 19, participated via phone at the local court in the state of South Australia on that day, charged with a single charge of property damage.

Officials commented at the time of the recent event, the municipal authorities explained that CCTV footage captured a individual placing fake eyes on the artwork, which residents have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.

Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and told the judge she was ill, according to media sources, with the magistrate advising her to secure a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.

The following day the reported event, the city leader stated that restoration to the popular public artwork would be costly as the stickers were impossible to be detached without damaging the sculpture.

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

She added the local government would seek the “substantial” restoration expenses from those responsible for the vandalism.

When the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew varied responses from the local community due to its price tag and appearance.

Costing A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture depicts a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an ancient marsupial ant-eater discovered in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.