Newnan father who terrorized family for more than 20 years sentenced

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Jason Tyrone Bryant (Coweta County District Attorney's Office)

COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - Coweta County man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to a series of violent domestic abuse charges that prosecutors say spanned more than two decades.

What we know:

Jason Tyrone Bryant, 49, of Newnan, entered a non-negotiated guilty plea on December 8 in two Coweta County Superior Court cases. He admitted to terroristic threats, aggravated stalking, cruelty to children in the third degree, three counts of aggravated assault involving family violence, and two counts of aggravated battery involving family violence. Because the plea was non-negotiated, the state and defense did not agree on a recommended sentence.

During a sentencing hearing, Superior Court Judge Emory Palmer heard arguments and emotional testimony from Bryant’s children before ordering him to serve 25 years in prison followed by 5 years on probation. 

The backstory:

According to prosecutors, the evidence would have shown that Bryant physically, emotionally, and mentally abused his wife throughout their 24-year marriage. They said Bryant beat his wife if one of their four children broke a rule, assaulted her when he lost a job, and once struck her in the face with a bottle, leaving a lasting scar. Investigators learned he controlled her movements, communication and finances, prompting her to secretly divert 10 percent of each paycheck into a separate account so she could eventually escape.

During the plea hearing, Bryant’s children described years of fear and misery inside the home and urged the court to impose a lengthy prison sentence.

The family’s first relief came on Sept. 7, 2024, when one daughter called 911 after learning that Bryant was punching and dragging their mother. A dispatcher noted, "caller does not want her parents advised that she called us," a detail prosecutors said underscored her fear of retaliation. Deputies did not find Bryant at the home, but he was arrested later that night with an open container of alcohol and a .380 caliber handgun.

Deputies and medical evaluators documented bruising across the victim’s legs, arms, body and face, along with a fractured nose and ruptured eardrum. One daughter recorded part of the assault and reported hearing Bryant threaten to kill her mother.

Bryant was granted bond on Sept. 12, 2024, under a court order prohibiting any direct or indirect contact with his wife or children. His wife later secured a Family Violence Protective Order reinforcing that restriction. Prosecutors said Bryant violated both orders multiple times by messaging his mother-in-law, following his wife on social media, and sending a message to one of his daughters, which resulted in an aggravated stalking charge.

What they're saying:

District Attorney John Herbert Cranford Jr. said his office is relieved that the family can finally live in peace and safety.