Vinai Chaipom: Sentenced at Darwin Local Court for bashing ex business partner before assaulting business neighbour

A local man who is ‘well and truly acquainted with the court system’ has learned his fate for bashing his former business partner before throwing soil in the eyes of another victim.

Vinai Chaipom (pictured) has been sentenced in relation to two assaults from September, 2023. Picture: Fia Walsh

A man who bashed his former business partner before throwing soil in the eyes of another man less than two hours later has been sentenced to prison.

Vinai Chaipom, 53, appeared in Darwin Local Court charged with two counts of aggravated assault, theft and being armed with an offensive weapon.

The court heard that at about 6pm on September 18, 2023, Mr Chaipom and two associates were driving his former business partner’s car through Palmerston when the former business partner identified the vehicle.

In a separate car, the former business partner followed the trio and informed them they did not have permission to drive his vehicle and that the car was not registered.

When the former business partner proceeded to phone police, Chaipom and his two associates assaulted him, punching him multiple times through the passenger-side window.

As the victim climbed out of his vehicle to escape, he dropped his mobile phone on the roadside, which Chaipom stole.

Fewer than two hours later, Chaipom was at his mechanical workshop in Palmerston when he began verbally abusing the business owner across the street from him.

Chaipom then approached the business owner with a steel pole, threatening to damage his property before returning to his own workshop.

The court heard the business owner thought the situation had de-escalated, before Chaipom came back and threw a handful of soil in his eyes.

The court Chaipomwas under “extreme financial pressure” at the time of the assaults. Picture: Che Chorley

More than 18 months on, Chaipom appeared from the dock to be sentenced.

Chaipom’s lawyer, Michael Drury said his client was under “extreme financial pressure” at the time of the offences.

“There had been ongoing tensions with both victims and this all came to a head on this day,” Mr Drury said.

“(Chaipom is) sorry for what happened, he has learned his lesson.”

Mr Drury said his Thailand-born client, who let his anger “get the better of him”, was a “strong contributor to his community”.

“We’re asking your Honour not to crush this man on sentence,” Mr Drury said.

“He’s a working man, he’s trying to come from another country (and) make a better life for himself and forge ahead with the business.”

Prosecutor Abigail Gallagher said Chaipom had “various interstate criminal histories”, including priors in the Territory, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria.

“Mr Chaipom is well and truly acquainted with the court system at this point,” she said.

“He’s an older man – really, at this point, his prospects of rehabilitation are very poor.”

Judge Therese Austin described the attacks as “serious offending”.

“On this day, everything went wrong,” she said.

“People were hurt and you have to be accountable for that.”

Chaipom wiped away his tears as he was handed a sentence of 11 months imprisonment from April 1, 2025, with the sentence to be suspended after five months and two weeks.

Originally published as Vinai Chaipom: Sentenced at Darwin Local Court for bashing ex business partner before assaulting business neighbour