By Joe Johnson
An Athens man was indicted this week on charges he allegedly terrorized his wife by kidnapping, beating and threatening to kill her.
Cory Corteze Heard, 38, of Burkland Lane was charged with kidnapping, reckless conduct, making terroristic threats, criminal trespass/damage to property, three counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, harassing communications, and four offences charged under the state Family Violence Act – aggravated assault and three counts of battery according to a grand jury indictment filed Tuesday in Clarke County Superior Court.
According to an Athens-Clarke County police report, the incident for which Heard was charged occurred late the night of Oct. 26, beginning at a home on Old Creek Road where the 43-year-old victim was visiting another woman.
After driving to that location, Heard reported confronted his wife by saying, “I didn’t appreciate you answering my calls.” At the same time, according to the police report, a vehicle drove away from the residence and Heard fired a gun into the air and a second time toward or at the fleeing car.
The report noted that Heard then asked his wife if she was cheating on him and struck her on the side of the head so hard that the woman had difficulty hearing and maintaining balance.
After punching the woman in the arm, Heard allegedly grabbed her by the shirt, ripping it, pointed the gun at her and said, “Get in the car before I shoot you,” according to the police report.
On the drive back to their home, the alleged victim threw her phone out of the car because Heard was trying to get her to unlock it, according to the report.
The Old Creek Road woman in her SUV followed the couple to their Burkland Lane residence, where the alleged victim got out of Heard’s vehicle and jumped into the SUV, according to the report.
On the ride back to the other woman’s home, the victim retrieved her phone from the side of the road and later showed it to police, who reportedly saw multiple threatening messages from Heard, one of which was a threat that he would choke her when she got home, the report noted.
One of the messages reportedly had a photo of Heard’s gun.
Police said they recovered a bullet casing near the area where Heard reportedly fired his gun.
Heard was arrested on warrants the day after the alleged incident.
Western Judicial Circuit Chief Judge H. Patrick Haggard in December granted Heard a $20,200 property bond with the conditions he live at an Elberton residence, wear an ankle monitor and not return to Athens-Clarke County unless it’s to meet with his attorney or attend a court proceeding.
Heard is scheduled to be arraigned on March 30.
Anyone who is in an abusive relationship can seek advice and services by calling Project Safe’s 24-hour hotline at (706) 543-3331, or by visiting http://www.project-safe.org.