Australian Teen Faces Charges for Allegedly Attaching Googly Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Sculpture

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

Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, appeared via phone at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on that day, charged with one count of property damage.

In a statement at the time of the recent event, the municipal authorities said that surveillance video showed a person placing fake eyes on the sculpture, which locals have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.

The accused made no plea and informed the court she was unwell, according to news outlets, with the magistrate recommending her to secure a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.

A day after the alleged incident, the city leader said that repairs to the popular public artwork would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without damaging the sculpture.

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

She added the council would seek the “substantial” repair costs from those accountable for the vandalism.

At the time the artwork was first proposed, it received mixed reactions from the area residents due to its cost and appearance.

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