Bolt cutters were Darryl Stretton's weapon of choice to extort money from his victims.
A 42-year-old man linked to the notorious Finks motorcycle gang has admitted to threatening to use bolt cutters on a Perth mining figure and his family in a bid to extort $700,000.
Darryl Kelvin Stretton, of Milton, has pleaded guilty in the Perth District Court to two counts of obtaining money using threats.
The victim, whose identity has been suppressed due to fear of reprisals, was threatened by Stretton at a South Perth apartment in October 2008 because Stretton had lost money based on an investment involving the victim.
The court was told Stretton had befriended the businessman in 2007 and they had numerous emails and correspondence about investment opportunities in the lead up to the October 28 meeting in Perth.
Stretton had flown to Perth and organised for the victim to meet at the King Edward Street apartment, where he was staying with a friend.
In the unit the victim was confronted by Stretton and a heavily tattooed man identified only as "Ox", who was holding a baseball bat and hitting it into his hand while asking where the money was, the court heard.
Stretton told the victim he was responsible for him and his underworld associates investing $150,000 in shares which had since dropped in value.
Stretton and Ox demanded the man pay $20,000 that day, with another $90,000 each of the following two weeks and bolt cutters would be used to cut off one of the man's fingers for each week a payment was late.
The victim, who was too scared to go to police, instead went to the ANZ bank and drew up a cheque for $200,000, which was later deposited in Stretton's brother's account.
A year later the victim was again contacted by Stretton who demanded $500,000, this time in the company of a known "murderer and psycho" motorcycle gang member, the court was told.
Finks member Matthew James Coventry has already been convicted to a 12-month suspended prison term for lesser charges after tapped phone calls recorded by police revealed a threat to cut the victim's wife's finger off if he did not pay the money.
The victim was confronted near the Sir James Mitchell Park and told to meet again at the Atomic cafe in South Perth. He raced home to pack up his wife and children and move them to an unknown location.
He then went to meet with Stretton, who came flanked by Coventry and Coventry's cousin who worked in security. They stood guard providing surveillance for the meeting.
The victim and Stretton communicated using an electronic writing tablet, in which Stretton warned the victim and his family were going to "get whacked" by the bikies if he didn't co-operate or went to police.
He was told that they knew everything about him, including all his children's names and where their holiday house was located.
Stretton's lawyer Gary Massey argued that during this conversation his client admitted he was "in as deep" as the victim and he was remorseful over the demands since he owed the Finks the money.
Stretton had been involved in a caravan park business that went broke but still lived the high life in Sydney according to evidence tendered in the District Court.
Stretton was eventually arrested on November 22 at a Batemans Bay motel, in NSW, and extradited to Perth where he has remained in custody away from his wife and two teenage children.
Judge Birmingham showed little sympathy for Stretton who he described as carrying out "premeditated and threatening behaviour leaving lasting fear in the complainant and his family".
The victim feared for his family's lives so much that he moved houses and hired 24-hour security surveillance.
Judge Ronald Birmingham ordered a compensation order for the $200,000 to be paid to the victim by Stretton once he is no longer deemed bankrupt.
Although Judge Birmingham remanded off sentencing until October 1, he told Stretton that it was a most serious crime that required a strong level of deterrence and would likely result in "a substantial term of imprisonment".