"Nazi pug" accused refused leave for Supreme Court appeal

The man fined for posting online a video of a dog raising its paw as if carrying out a Nazi salute, has been refused permission to challenge his conviction before the UK Supreme Court.

Mark Meechan, from Coatbridge, was convicted under s 127 of the Communications Act 2003 for posting a grossly offensive video, which showed his girlfriend's pug responding to statements such as "Sieg Heil" by lifting its paw. He claimed the video was intended as a joke to annoy his girlfriend.

Sheriff Derek O'Carroll at Airdrie Sheriff Court fined Meechan £800 (click here for report). His attempt to appeal to the Sheriff Appeal Court failed to pass the initial sifting process.

Meechan's lawyers then petitioned the High Court of Justiciary to allow an appeal to be taken to the UK Supreme Court on human rights grounds, claiming there had been an interference with his freedom of expression, but yesterday the Lord Justice General, Lord Carloway, sitting with the Lord Justice Clerk, Lady Dorrian, and Lord Menzies ruled the court had no power to allow further appeal in the circumstances of the case.

Dorothy Bain QC, for Meechan, had argued that the petition was competent and necessary, and the consequences of the conviction had been "immense" for him both professionally and personally.