Young Australian Faces Charges for Allegedly Attaching Sticker Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Sculpture

A young person from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after allegedly vandalizing a large blue sculpture of a mythical creature by affixing googly eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, 19 years old, participated via phone at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, charged with one count of property damage.

In a statement at the moment of the September incident, the local council explained that CCTV footage showed a person putting fake eyes on the sculpture, which residents have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.

The accused made no plea and told the court she was ill, as reported by media sources, with the judge recommending her to find a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in December.

The following day the reported event, the local mayor said that restoration to the much-loved community sculpture would be costly as the stickers were impossible to be detached without harming the art piece.

“This wilful damage to a cherished public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor remarked in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those people of our community who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”

The mayor said the council would pursue the “substantial” repair costs from those accountable for the damage.

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

Priced at A$136,000 ($89,000; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the artwork represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators inspired by an prehistoric marsupial ant-eater discovered in local caves that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.