—[*1] Frank H. Hiscock Legal Aid Society, Syracuse (Christine M. Cook of counsel), for defendant-appellant.

Anthony Fudge, defendant-appellant pro se.

William J. Fitzpatrick, District Attorney, Syracuse (James P. Maxwell of counsel), for respondent.

Appeal from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Onondaga County (John J. Brunetti, A.J.), rendered July 14, 2009. The judgment convicted defendant, upon a jury verdict, of assault in the second degree, unlawful fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle in the third degree, resisting arrest, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree and reckless driving.

It is hereby ordered that the judgment so appealed from is unanimously affirmed.

Memorandum: On appeal from a judgment convicting him upon a jury verdict of, inter alia, assault in the second degree (Penal Law § 120.05 [3]), defendant contends that he was denied effective assistance of counsel. We reject that contention. While defense counsel need not support a defendant's pro se motion for the assignment of new counsel, a defendant is denied the right to counsel when defense counsel becomes a witness against the defendant by taking a position adverse to the defendant in the context of such a motion (see e.g. People v Kirkland, 68 AD3d 1794, 1795 [2009]; People v Okolo, 35 AD3d 1272, 1273 [2006], lv denied 8 NY3d 925 [2007]). Here, however, the brief defense of her own performance by defendant's attorney did not create a prejudicial conflict (see Okolo, 35 AD3d at 1273; People v Walton, 14 AD3d 419, 420 [2005], lv denied 5 NY3d 796 [2005]). Defendant failed to preserve for our review his further contention that he was deprived of his right to a fair trial because the court improperly denigrated defense counsel in the presence of the jury (see People v Charleston, 56 NY2d 886, 887-888 [1982]). In any event, we conclude that defendant's contention is without merit (cf. People v Lynch, 60 AD3d 1479, 1481 [2009], lv denied 12 NY3d 926 [2009]).

With respect to defendant's challenge to the severity of the sentence, we note that, to the extent defendant contends that he was improperly penalized for asserting his right to a trial, that contention is not preserved for our review (see People v Griffin, 48 AD3d 1233, 1236-1237 [2008], lv denied 10 NY3d 840 [2008]; People v Irrizarry, 37 AD3d 1082, 1083 [2007], lv denied 8 NY3d 946 [2007]; People v Green, 35 AD3d 1211, 1211 [2006], lv denied 8 NY3d 985 [2007]) and, in any event, that contention lacks merit (see Griffin, 48 AD3d at 1236-1237). Moreover, the sentence imposed is not unduly harsh [*2]or severe.

Finally, we have reviewed defendant's contentions raised in his pro se supplemental brief and conclude that they are unpreserved for our review (see CPL 470.05 [2]), and in any event are without merit. Present—Smith, J.P., Peradotto, Lindley, Whalen and Martoche, JJ.