Rony Sood: Department of Finance analyst charged with drink driving

A respected public servant and family man, heavily involved in community cricket, has faced court for the fourth time after he was caught drunk behind the wheel again.

A federal senior financial analyst and respected family man has been busted drink driving for the fourth time.

Rony Sood, 36, was charged with level 2 drink driving after he blew 0.075 during a random breath test in Gungahlin earlier this year.

The ACT magistrates court heard it was Sood’s fourth drink driving charge since 2003.

In 2003, he was charged with level 2 drink driving before he was charged with driving under the influence and refusing a breath test in 2007.

Mr Sood was charged with level 3 drink driving in 2012 after he blew more than twice the legal limit and was disqualified for 14 months.

Rony Sood, a senior analyst at the Department of Finance has been convicted of drink driving. This is his fourth drink driving related incident. Picture: Linkedin

A solicitor for Mr Sood told Magistrate Glenn Theakston her client was not considered alcohol dependent but had a history of occasional binge drinking.

“He is a person who has a significant level of responsibility within his family unit,” the solicitor said.

“He does all the driving due to his wife’s health.”

The solicitor argued Sood had matured significantly following his previous run-ins with the law, becoming a valuable member of the community, and pled for a non-conviction.

However, Mr Theakston declined to spare Sood a conviction due to his poor driving history.

Sood was convicted of drink driving and fined $500 along with being disqualified for three months.

“What happened here was a mistake,” Mr Theakston said.

“The defendant's history is such that while I have the discretion, I would feel uncomfortable not recording a conviction.”

Prosecutor Lauren Knobel had also opposed the suggestion Sood should be spared a conviction.

“The defendant should have learnt by then to take steps to avoid this occurring,” she said.

The court heard Sood has worked for the Department of Finance as a senior financial analyst for the last five years and was heavily involved in community cricket and charity work.