A student who was training to be a pharmacist in Manchester has been sentenced in court after posting an antisemitic message on social media about the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023.

Mohammad Al Accad, 24, pleaded guilty at Manchester Magistrates' Court on Monday to sending a grossly offensive message on Instagram on the day of the attacks in response to a post condemning them from the Israel Society at University College London.

In his post, Al Accad wrote: “F*** you and your people, hope we kill hundreds more in the coming days.”

His post was reported by the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) to Prevent, Counter Terrorism Policing, the General Pharmaceutical Society and the pharmacy Al Accad worked in at the time.

He was arrested following a police investigation. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said he admitted sending the message “in the heat of the moment as he had been personally affected by recent events” during his police interview. Al Accad initially claimed his message was not grossly offensive.

The CAA said: “The police offered to facilitate an apology from Mr Al Accad to the victim in lieu of a prosecution, which was rejected.”

He was given a £675 fine, which the CPS said was “uplifted due to the hate aspect of the offence.” Al Accad was also told to pay £85 towards prosecution costs and a £270 victim surcharge.

“Mohammad Al Accad’s sentencing marks a victory against those who feel that they can target Jewish students with antisemitic hatred,’ said the CAA’s director of investigations and enforcement Stephen Silverman.

“When antisemitism crosses the criminal threshold, we will do whatever it takes to secure justice. Let this verdict send a clear message to those who target Jews. Ruinous consequences await them.”

Jade Coleman, senior crown prosecutor for CPS North-West, said: “Mohammad Al Accad sent a hateful antisemitic social media message to the Israel Society. Although he admitted the words he had used, he initially disputed they were threatening or grossly offensive.

“He later pleaded guilty to sending a grossly offensive communication. There is no place for hate in our society and we will continue to work with our criminal justice partners to bring those who commit such offences to justice.”

The General Pharmaceutical Council told Independent Community Pharmacist: "We cannot comment on individual cases. We expect education and training providers to consider any fitness to practise concerns about their students or trainees, and we provide guidance on this.

"We also expect them to bring matters relating to the conduct of registered pharmacy professionals and trainee pharmacy professionals to our attention so we can take action where necessary.  

“In addition, trainees are required to inform us of convictions or cautions when applying to register, at which point the Registrar will make a decision as to whether the applicant is fit and proper to be registered.”

A spokesperson for the CAA told Independent Community Pharmacist the pharmacy Al Accad was working in "strongly rejected the views expressed" in his message and said it would "deal with the matter internally."

However, the CAA said the pharmacy "failed to confirm he was no longer employed there," prompting the CAA to tweet "a warning to the local community."

Independent Community Pharmacist asked the pharmacy whether Al Accad still worked there but got no response.