Witnesses told police Joshua Andrew Freeman Stevens killed Unais Gomes in self-defence after Gomes had ‘bad trip’ on hallucinogenic ayahuasca plant

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

A Canadian man killed a Briton after the two took a hallucinogenic plant brew known as ayahuasca together at a spiritual retreat in the Peruvian Amazon, authorities have said.

Witnesses told police the Canadian man, 29-year-old Joshua Andrew Freeman Stevens, killed the British man, Unais Gomes, 26, in self-defence after Gomes allegedly attacked him with a knife during an ayahuasca ceremony near the jungle city of Iquitos on Wednesday night, said Normando Marques, a police chief in the region.

Ayahuasca is a combination of an Amazonian vine and plants that contain dimethyltryptamine. These give users psychedelic experiences when combined. It is not normally associated with violence.

The Canadian citizen was in police custody on Thursday, Marques said.

Witnesses said Gomes tried to stab Stevens during a bad trip, according to a police source in Iquitos familiar with the case.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Gomes apparently used a knife from the kitchen of the alternative health centre Phoenix Ayahuasca to attack Stevens. Stevens ended up killing Gomes with the same knife, stabbing him in the chest and stomach, he said.

Phoenix Ayahuasca did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Its Facebook page describes it as a safe place to “experience plant medicines and explore the true nature of the self”.

The health centre is run by Tracie Thornberry and Mark Thornberry.

Tracie Thornberry is an Australian who studied counselling at the University of Newcastle. She is currently away from the centre in New South Wales.

When contacted about reports of Gomes’ death she told the Guardian in an email: “I’m aware of the situation but probably don’t know any more than you at this point. I don’t want to make any statement as I’m unaware of all the facts.”

Ayahuasca tourism in Peru has surged in recent years, with dozens of jungle retreats offering the traditional indigenous brew to visitors under the supervision of a guide or shaman.

Many tourists seek the drug out because of its reputation as a way to help ease depression and other mental health issues.