NY TV executive convicted of beheading wife

The founder of a Muslim-oriented New York television station has been convicted of beheading his wife.

Muzzammil "Mo" Hassan stabbed and decapitated his wife, Aasiya Hassan outside the suburban Buffalo station in 2009.

Hassan acted as his own lawyer during the trial and never denied killing his wife, however the jury rejected his claim he was the victim of spousal abuse.

Throughout the trial, Hassan explored various psychiatric defences and fired three of his lawyers, replacing the fourth with himself.

According to Associated Press, Pakistan-born Hassan had been served with divorce papers the week before his wife's death.

Her body was found on February 12, 2009 in the offices of Bridges TV, the television station Hassan and his wife set up to counter negative stereotypes of Muslims after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Hassan has been in custody since walking into his local police station and telling officers his wife was dead.

Police said there had been previous reports of domestic disputes involving the couple. Their two children, aged 4 and 6 at the time of their mother's death, have been sent to live with family in Pakistan.

He faces up to 25 years to life in prison when he is sentenced on March 9, 2011.