Albany man convicted of terroristic threats, child cruelty in Houston County
Cobey was sentenced to 10 years, with five years to be served in prison and the remaining five on probation.
HOUSTON COUNTY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A 52-year-old Albany man has been sentenced to 10 years following his conviction on multiple felony charges stemming from a 2021 domestic dispute in Houston County, according to the Houston County District Attorney’s Office.
Keith Breon Cobey was found guilty August 15 of one count of terroristic threats, two counts of family violence battery, two counts of cruelty to children in the third degree and one count of hindering an emergency telephone call following a three-day jury trial in Houston County Superior Court. Cobey was sentenced to 10 years, with five years to be served in prison and the remaining five on probation.
The charges were related to a February 8, 2021, 911 call reporting a domestic dispute at 1121 Kathleen Bynum Drive in Warner Robins. Officers with the Warner Robins Police Department arrived to find Cobey shouting death threats from inside the home, according to court testimony.
Cobey’s adult daughter and then-teenage granddaughter ran outside to officers with visible scratches and blood on them. The victims told officers Cobey became enraged over use of a family vehicle, assaulted them, threatened them with a kitchen knife and took away their phone during the incident. A second minor child also witnessed the assault.
The Houston County case was delayed more than four years because Cobey was convicted of robbery in an unrelated case in Dougherty County and was serving a prison sentence.
When the case was called for trial, both victims refused to appear despite being subpoenaed. The district attorney’s office obtained material witness warrants for Cobey’s daughter and now-adult granddaughter, who were arrested and later testified at trial.
Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth McDaniel released the following statement:
“Neither of the battery victims in this case wanted to testify at trial, but whether those decisions were driven by fear or forgiveness, neither changes the seriousness of the danger these women were in during this family violence assault. The Houston County District Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to prosecuting crimes of family violence, and we are thankful to the jury in this case for holding Cobey accountable for his actions.”
District Attorney Eric Edwards released the following statement:
“This year, Houston County has experienced an unprecedented number of cases involving family violence, including the majority of our homicides. These crimes strike at the heart of our community and often leave lasting scars on children who witness them. While we always take victims’ wishes into consideration in deciding how to handle a case, we cannot and will not allow a dangerous abuser to escape justice out of fear that our witnesses may not be cooperative. Our duty is to protect the safety of victims and the community as a whole, and this case is a reminder of that. I am grateful to the Warner Robins Police Department, Assistant District Attorney McDaniel, and the jury for making sure justice was served.”
