Choudhury shared the offensive image on Facebook. Pic: Spender E Holtaway

A teacher from Tower Hamlets has been fined £465 for posting an anti-Semitic picture on his Facebook, after pleading guilty at Bromley Magistrates Court.

35-year-old Mahmudul Choudhury was reported to police by a Jewish former student last July after posting a pro-Nazi image on the social media site which featured an image of Adolf Hitler and the words: “Yes man, you were right. I could have killed all the Jews, but I left some of them to let you know why I was killing them. Share this picture to tell the truth a whole world.”

Choudhury had shared the image and written underneath: “Yes, now we can see why.”

On announcing the penalty, lead magistrate Muckell said: “Obviously reading through this and the letters, you’re a well-thought of person and this is going to put your standing down a lot.”

Choudhury was also ordered to pay £85 in costs and £47 to his former student at Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham College in New Cross, where he previously worked as a teacher.

Prosecutor Toyin Odumade told the court: “This Facebook poster was seen at the school where Mr Choudhury worked. This pupil is Jewish and it caused him distress so alerted the police.”

“He [Choudhury] said he used it [Facebook] to keep up-to-date with what was going on in the world. He said the poster had been sent to him, but he had shared it accidentally.”

“When asked about the caption above it he admitted writing it, but stated that he posted the image by accident. Later in his interview, he said he could understand why people could find the image offensive but stated that he didn’t want to offend anybody and that is was an accident.”

Subhankar Banerjee, defending Choudhury, said: “This is a young man in his mid-30s, a family man of impeccable good character, never been spoken to by the police before who was absolutely adamant he holds no anti-Semitic or other extremist views.”

The father-of-two has now given up Facebook and faces losing his current teaching position.