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A young person from the Land Down Under has faced legal proceedings after allegedly vandalizing a large blue sculpture of a legendary being by applying plastic eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, appeared via phone at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on that day, facing with a single charge of property damage.

In a statement at the moment of the recent event, the municipal authorities said that surveillance video showed a person placing fake eyes on the artwork, which residents have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.

Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and told the judge she was ill, as reported by news outlets, with the judge recommending her to secure a lawyer before her next court date in December.

A day after the alleged incident, the local mayor said that restoration to the popular public artwork would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without damaging the art piece.

“This wilful damage to a valued public artwork is unacceptable and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin said in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also disappointing to those members of our society who have embraced the Blue Blob.”

The mayor added the local government would pursue the “significant” repair costs from those accountable for the vandalism.

When the sculpture was initially suggested, it received mixed reactions from the area residents due to its price tag and design.

Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork depicts a mythical megafauna, with the creators influenced by an ancient anteater-like marsupial found in nearby caverns that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.