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

The 19-year-old, 19 years old, participated remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, facing with one count of property damage.

In a statement at the moment of the recent event, the local council explained that CCTV footage captured a individual putting fake eyes on the sculpture, which residents have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.

The accused made no plea and informed the court she was unwell, according to media sources, with the magistrate recommending her to secure a legal representative before her next court date in the final month of the year.

A day after the alleged incident, the city leader stated that restoration to the much-loved community sculpture would be expensive as the stickers could not be detached without harming the sculpture.

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

The mayor added the council would seek the “significant” repair costs from those responsible for the vandalism.

At the time the artwork was initially suggested, 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; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators inspired by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.