Dressed in prison-issued greens, Troy Fornaciari was beamed on the audio-visual link screen at Wollongong District Court on Tuesday. He had a bushy, black beard with his distinctive facial ink, including the words 'Tuff Luck' on his eyelids, on full display.

Fornaciari, 40, sat quietly as Judge Andrew Haesler outlined the offender's "tragic family history" before handing down his sentence.

Fornaciari's distrust in authorities began when he watched his father die of a heart attack at age seven, with emergency services believing his call to triple-0 was a hoax. He went on to experience further childhood trauma.

Fornaciari later received basic army training, but found his place in the Finks bikie gang as it provided him with positive reinforcement from other members, as well as "structure and direction".

He worked his way up to become president of the South Coast chapter. During the pandemic, Fornaciari fell back into to using drugs - which led to his latest spate of offending.

Strike force detectives were watching another drug dealer in April 2022 when they discovered Fornaciari's role as the woman's upline supplier.

Tendered court documents state the woman bought 238 grams of meth from Fornaciari, worth about $56,000, over a three-week period.

Police listened to the woman complaining to a friend about Fornaciari's unreliability and poor quality gear.

"It's doing my head in," she told her friend, while considering sourcing her drugs elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Fornaciari was feeling the pressure from selling subpar drugs. He fell into debt to his own upline supplier in Sydney.

"When will the good one be available bro ... I have to start making money," he messaged his supplier that month.

Fornaciari desperately turned up to his friend of six years' home in May to ask for cash. They talked as they normally would, however Fornaciari unleashed a violent attack when the conversation soured.

He pushed his friend face down onto a lounge and struck him on the back of the head with such force that he caused a three centimetre gash. Blood pooled onto the cushions.

The victim spent a night in hospital with a concussion, but returned home the next day to find Fornaciari waiting for him.

"I apologise for hitting you. I promise it won't happen again," Fornaciari said.

Fornaciari sent threats to the victim's brother after the victim went into "hiding", stating whoever is at his house will also "cop it".

"It looks very guilty a grown man hiding like schoolgirl (sic)," he told the victim's brother in a text message.

"You two f--ks think you can f--k with me."

Fornaciari was arrested at a Liverpool apartment in May 2022 and has remained in custody on remand since, spending most of this stint in strict protection due to his background.

Judge Haesler noted Fornaciari's entrenched recidivism, saying he had been jailed nine times between 2003 and 2020. He was guarded about Fornaciari's desire to change his ways.

"Fornaciari can talk the talk, he knows what to say to the psychologist, and the court," the judge said.

"If he puts those words into action, he might not come behind bars again. If it's just talk, then he's going to commit further offences."

Fornaciari received four-and-a-half years' jail, with a non-parole period of three years and one month. With time served, he will become eligible for parole in June 2025.