Kalum Dyson, of Frances Street in Brighouse, created a group called ‘Pakis Die’ on the social networking website.
The 21-year-old also posted messages including one which said: “Help me shoot all the Pakis.”
One of his listed friends, who is believed to have had an Asian boyfriend, complained to police after he sent her an invitation to join the group.
He pleaded guilty to a charge of sending an offensive or indecent, obscene or menacing electronic communication at Calderdale Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
Dyson, who has children aged two years and just five-weeks-old and works as a floor layer, was given a community order.
But chairman of the bench Tim Cole told him the offence was so serious it could have merited a jail term.
“We find this a very serious offence to which a custodial sentence could have been given,” he said.
The court heard Dyson was arrested in July – two months after setting up the group.
Jane Farrar, prosecuting, told the court one of his Facebook friends had reported the matter to the police after he sent her an invite to join.
She said: “She was utterly disgusted by the comments and was deeply offended by it.”
Dyson admitted setting up the site, which Facebook immediately removed, and told officers Muslims “should understand what the British Army was fighting for’’.
But he also said he was not racist, claiming he had “black” friends.
Michelle Flaga, mitigating, said her client was sorry.
She added: “It started out as a joke. People have different perceptions of what jokes may be.”
She added: “In hindsight, he appreciates people could have been offended by the nature of the comments.”
Dyson, who lives with his parents, was given a 12-month community order, to include 150 hours of unpaid community work, and a 30-day curfew. He must stay at home between the hours of 9pm and 5am.
He was also ordered to pay £85 court costs.
A West Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said hate crime was a serious offence.
She said: “West Yorkshire Police treat any reports of hate crime extremely seriously and will thoroughly investigate them and take firm action against those responsible.
“On top of the impact such incidents have on the victims themselves, hate crimes can have a corrosive effect on our communities and cannot be tolerated.
“We want victims of hate crime to feel confident that if they come forward they will be taken seriously and helped and supported by ourselves and our partner agencies.”
A spokeswoman for the charity Stop Hate UK added: “Stop Hate UK is extremely concerned that perpetrators believe they can get away with committing hate crime, especially when it’s done in such a public way.
“We hope that this case reminds people that racism and other types of hate crime, in whatever form it takes, is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.”
Hudersfield Examiner
