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A young person from Australia has appeared in court after reportedly defacing a sizable blue sculpture of a mythical creature by applying plastic eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, appeared via phone at the local court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, charged with one count of damaging property.

In a statement at the time of the recent event, the municipal authorities explained that CCTV footage showed a individual placing artificial eyes on the sculpture, which locals have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.

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

A day after the reported event, the city leader stated that restoration to the popular public artwork would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without harming the art piece.

“This intentional vandalism to a cherished public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those people of our community who have embraced Cast in Blue.”

The mayor said the local government would pursue the “significant” restoration expenses from those responsible for the damage.

At the time the sculpture was first proposed, it drew varied responses from the local community due to its price tag and design.

Priced at A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork depicts a mythical megafauna, with the creators influenced by an ancient marsupial ant-eater discovered in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.