Accused wife killer gets more time to pay for psychiatric expert

Muzzammil S. "Mo" Hassan

 The Buffalo News… Over the objections of the prosecutor, Muzzammil S. “Mo” Hassan today was given additional time to secure the money needed to pay for the mental health experts he hopes will help him prove he was emotionally out of control when he decapitated his estranged wife last February.

Erie County Judge Thomas P. Franczyk decried the “glacial pace” of the defense effort, but gave defense attorney James P. Harrington until Dec. 7 to report on the progress of the defense tactics.

The judge warned Harrington that he can still preclude this line of defense if further delays are unacceptable.

Prosecutor Colleen Curtin Gable complained of deliberate foot-dragging by the defense.

But Harrington insisted that, until an Oct. 13 settlement was reached in the Hassan family estate case, there was a problem with ensuring enough money to pay for the criminal defense.

Though the estate case is several weeks away from a formal settlement, Harrington told the judge that Hassan is now assured he will have enough money to finance his defense, including pay for his psychiatric experts.

The the bulk of the estate will go to his four children. Hassan, 44, did not speak during the brief court session that ended about 10:15 a.m. Hassan, who has been jailed since he surrendered to police about an hour after the Feb. 12 killing, did not speak at court. Harrington declined comment as he left court.