Beautician’s ‘shock’ as police arrest naked Russian spy lover in bed
Tihomir Ivanchev, Vanya Gaberova and Katrin Ivanova are on trial at the Old Bailey, accused of being part of a network of spies.
A beautician has described her “shock” when police burst into her home to arrest her lover for spying for Russia as he lay naked in her bed.
Vanya Gaberova, 30, swapped her relationship with painter and decorator Tihomir Ivanchev, 39, for a life of luxury with “ugly” but “charming” Biser Dzhambazov, 43, the Old Bailey has been told.
Jurors have heard the couple stayed in a five-star hotel in Valencia, Spain, dined at a Michelin-starred restaurant, and went clubbing during surveillance operations.
Despite finding out Dzhambazov lied about having cancer and splitting up with his 33-year-old partner, Katrin Ivanova, Gaberova told jurors she never doubted his cover story of being an Interpol police officer.
When officers turned up at her home in Euston, north London, to arrest him for spying, she turned to Dzhambazov and asked: “What have you done?”
Defence barrister Anthony Metzer KC asked: “When the police first burst in that morning, what did you say to Biser?”
Gaberova replied: “I was so scared, shocked. I asked him what had he done, why these people were there.”
Mr Metzer said: “Did he answer?”
The defendant replied: “No, he didn’t.”
Asked how she felt, she said: “I didn’t know what was going on. I couldn’t believe what these people were talking about.”
She told the jury she did not think she had done anything wrong, adding: “That’s why I asked my boyfriend ‘What have you done?'”
Mr Metzer said: “Were you knowingly part of any agreement to spy for Russia?
Gaberova said: “No.”
Dzhambazov, from Harrow, north-west London, and Orlin Roussev, 46, from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, have admitted plotting to spy for Russia between 2020 and 2023.
Fellow Bulgarians Gaberova, Ivanchev, of Acton, west London, and Ivanova, from Harrow, have denied involvement.
Earlier, Gaberova’s turbulent relationship with Dzhambazov was laid bare in text messages from January 2023.
In them, Gaberova told him she respected herself too much to “let someone treat me like that”.
At the time, she suspected he had lied about having brain cancer treatment abroad, after a tracker on a keyring in his bag placed him at work as a medical courier nearby, jurors heard.
Mr Mezter observed: “It seems the relationship is over. How was it on the day of your arrest he is naked in your bed?”
Gaberova said Dzhambazov had called her repeatedly and went to her salon wanting to come clean about what he was “hiding”.
“So I met him and he says he’s always been living with Ms Ivanova. He lied to me, nothing changed, he’s been sleeping on the sofa all the time,” she said.
“He also says some bad things about her. Then he told me surgery has been successful but I didn’t want to listen. Then he started to cry.”
During the tearful conversation, he offered to give her the future she wanted, the court was told.
After that, she let him stay at her home, but that did not mean she had forgiven him, the defendant said.
Gaberova added that Dzhambazov always slept naked and that was not a sign that “something happened”.
Mr Metzer asked: “When police arrived, was he in bed with you? Although you expressed to him your concerns, you still had feelings for him?”
Gaberova agreed.
Mr Metzer went on: “The jury may want to know, if you had doubts about his honesty, doubts about him having cancer and whether he was faithful to you, why did you have no equivalent doubts he was telling the truth to you about being an Interpol police officer?”
Gaberova replied: “I never had any doubts in relation to that. Why I should have?
“In that situation I saw him with another girl… I called the hospital when he told me he was in hospital and none of this was true. He didn’t give me reason not to believe about the job.”
She added that she thought Dzhambazov’s fake Interpol badge and card were genuine.
Gaberova denied she had manipulated her ex-boyfriend Ivanchev and ruined his life by entangling him in Dzhambazov’s surveillance.
She told jurors: “I just asked him what Biser asked me. I didn’t say to him you have to do it.”
Cross-examining for Ivanchev, Mozammel Hossain KC asserted that Gaberova had been “obsessed” with Dzhambazov.
He pointed out that Ivanchev had been third in the world as an open water swimmer and worked hard as a painter and decorator in London.
Mr Hossain said: “That man used to work seven days a week. Your dream at that time – you are the eyelash queen – you wanted to set up a salon. He paid for it.
“He took a £25,000 loan. I put it to you it’s £30,000 altogether. He didn’t want anything, you were the director of the shop. Not only did he do that for you, madam, he loved you so much, he did all the work in the shop, the painting.”
The defendant agreed.
Mr Hossain said: “If it were not for that man (Dzhambazov) you would still be together today.”
Gaberova replied: “I can’t say.”
Mr Hossain suggested Ivanchev had been left “heartbroken” when Gaberova left him for a man who offered her a “better life”.
He suggested: “You left him for a criminal who lied to you. You left him for a man who offered you a better life than your salon.
“He showed you a life of luxury. You stayed with him at a Valencia hotel with five stars, ate at Michelin star restaurants, go clubbing.
“The ‘ugly man’, as you called him, offered you a better life?”
The defendant remained silent.
The Old Bailey trial continues.
