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A teenager from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after reportedly defacing a sizable art piece of a legendary being by applying plastic eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, aged 19, participated via phone at the local court in South Australia on Tuesday, charged with one count of property damage.

In a statement at the time of the September incident, the municipal authorities explained that surveillance video captured a person placing fake eyes on the sculpture, which residents have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.

Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and informed the judge she was ill, as reported by news outlets, with the judge recommending 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 repairs to the popular community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without damaging the sculpture.

“This wilful damage to a cherished public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin said in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those members of our community who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”

The mayor added the council would seek the “substantial” repair costs from those accountable for the damage.

At the time the artwork was initially suggested, it received mixed reactions from the local community due to its price tag and appearance.

Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture depicts a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial found in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.