THE chief suspect in the brutal murders of best friends Eoin O’Connor and Anthony Keegan has been accused of another killing in South Africa.

The Irish Sun on Sunday can reveal Neville Peter Van Der Westhuizen is to appear at a court in Durban after he was charged with the murder of teenager Cody Houghton in the Bluff area on February 24, 2017.

Along with three other men, Van Der Westhuizen is accused of targeting the teenager and his pal after they were suspected of stealing a mobile phone from a tattoo parlour.

During the vicious assault, the pals were tied up, assaulted and forced to take drugs before being beaten.

One of the victims also rang his mother during the attack and told how they were “going to die”.

One of the attackers is suspected of exposing himself to the pals and threatened to sexually assault them while another brandished a sword during a terrifying 24-hour kidnap ordeal.

Although the pair managed to escape, the 19-year-old died from his head injuries just hours later.

During a previous bail hearing for Van Der Westhuizen, the court heard how he was wanted by Interpol over the brutal double gun murders of O’Connor and Keegan in 2014.

They were found together, wrapped in plastic sheeting and buried in a shallow grave on Inchicup Island, Lough Sheelin, Co Meath.

Westhuizen had been living in Ireland for two years before the slayings but fled after the Gardai identified him as the chief suspect.

Since then, he has spent time in the UK and Nigeria before fleeing to South Africa.

Although Ireland has no extradition treaty with South Africa, the Gardai are working closely with Interpol and hope the suspect will be sent back here to stand trial for the slayings.

During the bail hearing for the double murder suspect, the State claimed he should be denied bail because he was “under investigation by Interpol”. They also claimed there was a warrant for his arrest from South Africa’s Fugitive Extradition desk.

In an exclusive interview with the Irish Sun on Sunday, Eoin’s heartbroken mum Jean vowed to continue her family’s fight for justice.

She said: “We know the Gardai are working on the case and we have hope that the people who brutally murdered Eoin and Anthony will one day be brought before the courts.

“I don’t know much about the Garda investigation but if there is a suspect overseas then we hope that this person will be sent back to Ireland to stand trial for two horrific murders.

“It’s also awful to think that a suspect in my son and Anthony’s case has been accused of another murder and my hearts and prayers are with that young man’s family.

“Our worlds have been ripped apart and two innocent children have been robbed of a great future with a loving father. My son was no major criminal — the only thing he lived for were his family, friends, dogs and football.

“Eoin never deserved to die like this — he hadn’t a violent bone in his body.”

The family’s nightmare started on April 22, 2014, when Eoin borrowed his mum’s Ford Focus to travel to Ballyjamesduff in Co Cavan.

Before leaving Dublin, the courier told a relative of his concerns over the visit. And when the dad of two failed to return home from the trip, his family raised the alarm.

The bodies were later found after a fisherman on the lake identified a smell coming from the tiny island.

Gardai confirmed Eoin had no serious convictions and wasn’t a member of any major drug mobs.

Speaking in South Africa, the murder victim’s devastated mum, Chantal, also told of her family’s torment.

She said: “When I arrived at the house where Cody was, I could see my son lying by the doorway. His lips were blue. I touched him and he was freezing cold, he wasn’t breathing.

“We have to stand together and make sure no other family suffers like we have.”