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A young person from the Land Down Under has faced legal proceedings after allegedly defacing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by affixing googly eyes to it.

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

Officials commented at the time of the recent event, the local council explained that surveillance video captured a individual placing fake eyes on the sculpture, which locals have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.

The accused made no plea and told the court she was ill, as reported by news outlets, with the judge recommending her to find a legal representative before her next court date in December.

A day after the alleged incident, the city leader stated that restoration to the much-loved community sculpture would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without harming the art piece.

“This wilful damage to a cherished community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those members of our society who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”

She added the local government would pursue the “substantial” repair costs from those accountable for the damage.

At the time the sculpture was first proposed, it drew mixed reactions from the local community due to its price tag and appearance.

Costing A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the sculpture depicts a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an ancient marsupial ant-eater discovered in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.