THE first time Kevin James Cox robbed a Maitland service station it was because the attendant was being a "cheeky c--t" when he had sold him cigarettes earlier in the day.

He returned to the United service station five days later to rob the "f--king Indian" again because his victim had the audacity to report his first axe-wielding hold-up to police.

"It wasn't the point of the money, bro," Cox was to later tell police during a recorded interview.

"Like, it was just f--kin' that stupid f--kin' Indian c--t bein' smart.

"And I told him, I said, when he, when as I was walkin' out, all right, I was tellin' him, I said, "if you call the coppers I'll come back".

"And I drove past later he called the coppers, there was coppers there, so I was f--kin' dirty on him . . ."

Cox, 19, of Wickham, pleaded guilty in Newcastle Local Court yesterday to the two armed robberies on June 27 and July 2 this year.

In an interview tendered as part of evidence, Cox told detectives he was cranky with the victim after buying cigarettes and had vowed to return to teach him a lesson.

"Well, first, I had, I just, like, went and I was gunna use a chainsaw but it, the chainy wouldn't start so I had to go back and I f--kin' got an axe," Cox told police.

He returned with a tomahawk and threatened the attendant before leaving with some cash, turning to threaten the victim if he told police before escaping.

When Cox realised police had been called, he decided to return five days later with another tomahawk and threaten the same attendant.

Cox told police that cash was never a motive - and he decided to show his face despite having a balaclava on the second occasion so his victim knew it was him again.

" . . . I wanted him to know he was a f--kin' dog, you know," Cox said.

"That's what happens. Like, I was holdin' a grudge on him.

"And it's not like I just wanted to do robberies.

" . . . It's like, like, if I was gunna do a armed robbery, it's just stupid to do a servo.

"Like, I'll, I'll f--kin' go do a pub, get a safe. Like a TAB or sports bar or something, you know what I mean.

"Why would I go do a, a servo for $300 or something cash. It's, I'm not gunna go there and just threaten him for that.

"I'll go there, take his cash and threaten him with an axe so he gets the point.

"But obviously he didn't."

Cox was remanded in custody to appear in Newcastle District Court later this month for sentencing