Ex-Bandidos enforcer Toby Mitchell has been released on bail after pleading guilty to punching a man who was allegedly infatuated with him.
The victim, who cannot be named, allegedly approached the former national Bandidos sergeant-at-arms during a 2014 court hearing and said Mitchell was his idol.
Barrister Michael O'Connell, SC, alleges the man, who he described as a "compulsive and convincing liar", then engaged in "stalking-like" behaviour.
"It's apparent he developed an obsessional infatuation with my client," he told the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
The victim trawled Mitchell's Instagram page, went to his tattoo shop, phoned and sent texts and used Mitchell's name to "big-note", Mr O'Connell alleged.
Mitchell on Tuesday pleaded guilty to one count of recklessly causing injury after punching the man, who needed three facial stitches, in a crowded South Melbourne cafe in January.
A string of other charges, including extortion, blackmail and threats to kill, were dropped.
Mr O'Connell said Mitchell agreed to have coffee after the man called him several times from 6am that day, and the man brought his three-month-old daughter.
Mitchell punched the man and left after a heated discussion over the alleged stalking, Mr O'Connell said.
The victim later told police Mitchell pressed a gun to his stomach, demanded $300,000 and threatened to kill him and his baby.
He also allegedly claimed he was a "fully-patched" Bandidos member who knew underworld figures including Jason Moran.
None of those claims were true, Mr O'Connell said.
He said the man had prior convictions for making false reports to police, including one with "striking similarity".
"He has spent six and a half months in custody on the strength of that man's word," he said of Mitchell, who was released on bail pending his sentencing on August 5.
Prosecutor Andrew Grant said the daylight assault was serious because it was bloody, in a public place and in the presence of the victim's baby.
Mitchell was on a suspended sentence for affray at the time.
Mitchell has survived two shooting assassination attempts, one in November 2011 and one in March 2013.
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