A thug has incurred his 54th jail sentence after his DNA was found inside the pockets of a man he attacked and tried to rob.
John Fargher set about his victim in a Seaton car park, repeatedly punching him to the head and then kicking him to the body.
The 42-year-old demanded cash and started rifling through the man’s pockets – which would ultimately prove to be his undoing.
Police later snared the known criminal after finding his DNA inside his victim’s pockets.
In January, The Press and Journal reported how Fargher, who had racked up 53 prison sentences, was given an opportunity prove he could behave in the community.
But just months later, Fargher has now reached 54 after admitting his guilt over the violent and frightening robbery bid.
Fiscal depute Jane Spark told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the complainer had been driving on Cotton Street shortly before 11pm when he noticed a female “stumbling” and unsteady on her feet.
Attacker’s DNA also found on Tennent’s can
Ms Spark said: “He stopped his vehicle and asked if she required assistance and agreed to give her a lift to Seaton.”
The woman directed him to a car park on School Road where they both exited the vehicle began to walk towards an address.
At that point, Fargher and another male exited the address and approached them.
Fargher and the woman started to argue before he, along with the other male, assaulted the man.
Ms Spark said: “The accused repeatedly punched the complainer on the head and kicked him on the body.
“The complainer ended up on the ground with the accused and the other male attempting to rummage through his pockets and demanding money from him.”
Eventually, a nearby resident came outside to investigate the commotion and Fargher fled.
The complainer attended at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and was found to have sustained soft tissue damage to his face with bruising and swelling.
‘To say he was annoyed would be an understatement’
Sheriff Andrew Miller was shown photographs of the injuries and described the bruising and swelling as “quite vivid”.
Fargher, of Promenade Court, Regent Walk, Aberdeen, pled guilty to a charge of assault to injury and attempted robbery.
Defence agent Mike Monro said: “The street known as Cotton Street is an address which has perhaps a bit of notoriety to it.
“The police often attended because ‘ladies of the night’ are to be found there.
“The lady in this matter was a partner of the accused.
“The accused knew what this lady did in order to make an income. It’s an income they used in order to buy illegal drugs.”
Mr Monro explained that as his client and the other male left their address in Seaton, they were not “not expecting” to see his partner and “certainly not expecting” to see her with another man to the address.
The solicitor said: “To say he was annoyed would be an understatement.”
What started as a row between Fargher and his partner then quickly escalated and became an assault and robbery bid on the complainer.
‘You have a very significant record extending back to the late 1990s’
Mr Monro said that, in going through his pockets, Fargher told his victim he was getting money due to his partner.
The lawyer continued: “He was not successful. The complainer gets up. The accused runs off and that’s that.
“The DNA of the accused was found in the pockets of the complainer.
“The accused had, at the time, in his hand a can of Tennent’s. He throws that down, it’s found by the police and his DNA is on it.”
Mr Monro acknowledged his client’s “shameful” record which he said amounted to a “book” of previous convictions.
Asked to comment on the different circumstances given for the victim’s presence in Seaton, Ms Spark said: “The complainer in his evidence said he was propositioned by the lady but that he did not accept her services.”
Sheriff Miller told Fargher: “You have a very significant record for crimes of dishonesty extending back many years to the late 1990s.
“You have a significant number of convictions for crimes of violence.”
He ordered Fargher to be jailed for 50 days in relation to an outstanding portion of a previous sentence and imposed a further 15 months for the new offence.
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