During his time as a mid-range dealer within a Wangaratta drug syndicate in 2014, the 32-year-old sourced ice from a bikie gang and used his physical size to enforce drug debts.

He appeared in the Melbourne County Court this week to plead guilty to trafficking methamphetamine, which solicitor Zarah Garde-Wilson said occurred during a heavy drug addiction.

A co-accused from the drug ring told police he got to know Robinson when the dealer threatened to “flog” him if he didn’t pay a debt.

“I stood up to him and told him to f--- off – he seemed a bit shocked by this and ... then sort of tried to befriend me and told me he would supply gear for me,” the informant said.

Another informant told police Robinson “puts the hard word on easy targets” and “uses his size to intimidate people”.

Prosecutor Max Perry said the accused also made runs to Melbourne and Sydney to purchase drugs.

A police listening device on the phone of syndicate leader Jessica Fogarty revealed Robinson sourced drugs from people he called the “Arabs”.

“He disclosed that the ‘Arabs’ in Shepparton were supplied drugs by the Mongols Outlaw Motorcycle Group in Adelaide,” Mr Perry said.

He said Robinson used a TAB account for clients to deposit drug money until someone at a Wangaratta betting agency noticed multiple “young males” depositing into the account.

“Robinson commenced making larger withdrawels around the same time as these multiple deposits and this operator describes the activities as ‘way out of the normal’ and she became suspicious,” Mr Perry said.

Ms Garde-Wilson said her client denied any association with violence or guns and was remorseful for his drug-dealing.

She said the father of three daughters starting using ice in 2014 when he lost his job.

“He has very good prospects of rehabilitation,” Ms Garde-Wilson said.

Judge Frank Gucciardo will sentence Robinson and his brother Jamie in June.