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A young person from Australia has faced legal proceedings after allegedly defacing a sizable art piece of a legendary being by affixing plastic eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, appeared remotely at the local court in the state of South Australia on that day, charged with one count of damaging property.

Officials commented at the time of the recent event, the municipal authorities explained that surveillance video showed a individual placing fake eyes on the artwork, which residents have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.

Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and informed the court she was unwell, according to news outlets, with the magistrate recommending her to find a legal representative before her next court date in December.

A day after the alleged incident, the local mayor stated that restoration to the popular community sculpture would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without damaging the sculpture.

“This wilful damage to a cherished community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those members of our society who have embraced Cast in Blue.”

She added the council would pursue the “substantial” repair costs from those accountable for the damage.

When the artwork was first proposed, it received varied responses from the area residents due to its price tag and appearance.

Costing 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture depicts a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers influenced by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.