Well if you really want to go around the cron setting and get emails by code-patching(which IMHO is not a good idea, but can be temporary patch), then you've to override Mage_Core_Model_Email_Template class as depicted here in the answer.
New order email confirmation not being sent
Just put the class file in same path in local
codepool(app/code/local/Mage/Core/Model/Email/Template.php), then open this file and find and comment out the if
condition as below:
//if ($this->hasQueue() && $this->getQueue() instanceof Mage_Core_Model_Email_Queue) {
/** @var $emailQueue Mage_Core_Model_Email_Queue */
$emailQueue = $this->getQueue();
$emailQueue->setMessageBody($text);
$emailQueue->setMessageParameters(array(
'subject' => $subject,
'return_path_email' => $returnPathEmail,
'is_plain' => $this->isPlain(),
'from_email' => $this->getSenderEmail(),
'from_name' => $this->getSenderName(),
'reply_to' => $this->getMail()->getReplyTo(),
'return_to' => $this->getMail()->getReturnPath(),
))
->addRecipients($emails, $names, Mage_Core_Model_Email_Queue::EMAIL_TYPE_TO)
->addRecipients($this->_bccEmails, array(), Mage_Core_Model_Email_Queue::EMAIL_TYPE_BCC);
$emailQueue->addMessageToQueue();
return true;
// }
Then you can debug the cron setting and when you fix the cron then remove the file from local
pool.
Hope this helps you out.