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A young person from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after reportedly vandalizing a large art piece of a legendary being by applying googly eyes to it.

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

Officials commented at the time of the September incident, the local council said that surveillance video showed a individual placing artificial eyes on the artwork, which residents have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.

The accused made no plea and informed the court she was unwell, according to news outlets, with the judge recommending her to secure a lawyer before her next court date in December.

A day after the reported event, the city leader said that restoration to the much-loved community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes were impossible to be detached without harming the art piece.

“This wilful damage to a cherished public artwork is unacceptable and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those people of our society who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”

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

When the artwork was initially suggested, it received mixed reactions from the local community due to its cost and appearance.

Costing A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork represents a mythical megafauna, with the creators inspired by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater discovered in nearby caverns that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.