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Teen Charged After Defacing Giant Blue Blob Statue

The 19-year-old was charged with one count of property damage for giving the statue a googly eyed makeover.

A 19-year-old Australian woman faced court for the first time this week after defacing an expensive public artwork by sticking googly eyes on it. Amelia Vanderhorst was charged with one count of damaging property for the prank, which took place in September and saw Vanderhorst stick googly eyes onto Cast in Blue, a controversial sculpture that cost the City of Mount Gambier in South Australia $88,000. The sculpture, dubbed the “Blue Blob” by locals, was installed in July and represents a mythical version of the megafauna that once existed in the region. Authorities could not remove Vanderhorst’s googly eyes without damaging the sculpture and removing some of the paint; they estimate the damage at less than $1,600. At the time of the incident, the mayor of Mount Gambier said the city would be pursuing costs from the person responsible. Appearing in court on Tuesday, Vanderhorst did not enter a plea, instead telling the court she was very sick and high on pain medication. The magistrate advised her to find a lawyer before her next court appearance in December.