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A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after allegedly vandalizing a large art piece of a mythical creature by applying googly eyes to it.

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

In a statement at the time of the September incident, the municipal authorities said that surveillance video showed a individual putting fake eyes on the artwork, which locals have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.

The accused did not enter a plea and told the judge she was unwell, as reported by news outlets, with the magistrate advising her to find a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in December.

A day after the reported event, the city leader stated that repairs to the much-loved public artwork would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without harming the art piece.

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

The mayor added the local government would seek the “substantial” repair costs from those responsible for the vandalism.

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

Priced at A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the artwork depicts a legendary giant animal, with the creators inspired by an ancient anteater-like marsupial discovered in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.