Shawn Newton charged with murder of Perth mother after manhunt

Shawn Adam Newton, who evaded police for almost three weeks, has been charged with murdering Scarborough mother-of-three Rebecca Gascoigne.

The 42-year-old is also accused of holding up businesses and burgling a Kingsley home during his 18 days on the run.

Newton was arrested while drinking a beer at a Hillarys tavern yesterday.

A pubgoer described how he stepped out into the carpark to call Crimestoppers after earlier seeing images released by police of Newton wearing a wig.

"I get the impression that he was sort of looking at me, and from all accounts what I've heard so far is that he was and was getting a bit fidgety," the man, who didn’t want to be identified, said.

Detectives swooped within 10 minutes.

Newton is accused of holding 35-year-old Ms Gascoigne against her will and killing her.

He is also charged with pressuring a 49-year-old man into disposing of her body.

A man stopped his car on Mitchell Freeway where police were responding to a crash and Ms Gascoigne's body was found in the boot.

Newton allegedly committed three armed robberies while on the run at a Craigie chemist, a Duncraig McDonald's, and another in Woodvale.

He is also charged over a home burglary in Kingsley, which police say he also committed while on the run.

He is due to face court tomorrow.

"Think about the families and people affected with what he's possibly been involved with and I'm happy now that hopefully they can get some sort of resolution," the pubgoer said.