Young Australian Faces Charges for Allegedly Placing Sticker Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Sculpture

A young person from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after reportedly defacing a large blue sculpture of a legendary being by applying plastic eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, 19 years old, participated via phone at the local court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, charged with a single charge of property damage.

In a statement at the time of the September incident, the municipal authorities explained that CCTV footage captured a individual putting artificial eyes on the sculpture, which residents have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.

Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and informed the court she was unwell, according to media sources, with the magistrate advising her to secure a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.

A day after the reported event, the local mayor said that repairs to the popular public artwork would be costly as the stickers were impossible to be removed without harming the art piece.

“This wilful damage to a valued public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those people of our community who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”

She added the local government would pursue the “substantial” restoration expenses from those responsible for the damage.

At the time the sculpture was initially suggested, it received varied responses from the area residents due to its price tag and design.

Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the sculpture depicts a legendary giant animal, with the creators inspired by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater discovered in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.