Young Australian Charged for Supposedly Placing Googly Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Artwork

A young person from the Land Down Under has faced legal proceedings after reportedly defacing a large blue sculpture of a mythical creature by affixing googly eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, aged 19, appeared via phone at Mount Gambier Magistrates 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 recent event, the local council said that CCTV footage showed a individual putting fake eyes on the sculpture, which locals have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.

The accused made no plea and told the judge she was ill, according to news outlets, with the judge recommending her to secure a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.

The following day the reported event, the city leader stated that repairs to the popular community sculpture would be costly as the stickers were impossible to be removed without damaging the sculpture.

“This wilful damage to a valued community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also disappointing to those people of our community who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”

The mayor said the council would seek the “significant” restoration expenses from those responsible for the damage.

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

Costing 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture represents a mythical megafauna, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.