A MUM who confessed to murdering her own son before dismembering the body has claimed she was protecting his girlfriend.

Lorena Venier, a 61-year-old nurse, told cops she killed her son Alessandro, 35, as he had been abusing her and his Colombian partner.

Mailyn Castro Monsalvo, who is the mother of Alessandro’s six-month-old baby, admitted her involvement in the gruesome murder. She was promptly arrested alongside Lorena.

Alessandro’s remains were found at his home in Gemona del Friuli, near the north-eastern city of Udine, Italy.

His corpse was initially dumped in the family‘s rubbish bin before being moved when it started to rot and smell.

Police later discovered it buried in quicklime and reportedly cut up into three parts. 

After being questioned, Lorena also confessed to the murder as she told prosecutors: “I have done a terrible thing.”

The mum and son lived alongside Alessandro’s girlfriend Mailyn.

After the birth of their first baby, the couple’s relationship took a dark turn, according to Lorena.

She alleged to police that Alessandro was abusing her and Mailyn and that her son had drug and alcohol problems.

Alessandro was reportedly unemployed and refused to help out around the house.

Things reached breaking point when he said Mailyn, him and the baby should all move to Colombia.

Lorena said she feared the move would only cause bigger issues with her no longer being able to look after Mailyn.

Lorena even said at a hearing on August 2: “Mailyn is the daughter that I never had.”

She claimed the mum-of-one’s life was in danger due to the alleged abuse.

She told court: “Mailyn was being beaten up, insulted and threatened many times with death.

“My son downplayed the post-natal depression she was suffering from. Alessandro was violent, Mailyn’s life was in danger. 

“I could not have allowed them to go to Colombia, Mailyn and the baby would have run very serious risks there.”

Lorena went on to claim “the only way to stop him was to kill him”.

Mailyn is alleged to have helped commit the grisly death which happened on July 25.

She was in a vulnerable state and confessed less than a week later to the murder. 

The pair are alleged to have spiked a glass of lemonade with a tranquiliser in hopes of Alessandro drinking it.

Despite finishing the glass, he survived.

Lorena was then forced to inject him with two doses of insulin which she had taken from the hospital where she worked, it has been claimed.

The alleged overdose ploy again didn’t work but it did leave Alessandro in a bad condition.

The pair decided to follow through with the murder by reportedly smothering him with a pillow and strangling him to death with his own bootlaces.

Lorena then tried to hide the body by using a hacksaw to split his body into three parts and dumping it in a bin.

She admitted to hoping neighbours would think he had moved to South America like he was planning to do.

The pair kept it a secret for a week before Mailyn reached breaking point and confessed.

Lorena has been charged with murder and concealing a body.

Mailyn is suspected of instigation to murder. 

The quiet town of Gemona del Friuli has been left in shock by the murder.

Roberto Revelant, the mayor of the town, said: “Nothing like this has ever happened here before.

“It’s a terrible thing, it’s heart-wrenching.”

Results of a post-mortem exam are expected to be announced in the coming days.

The women will be officially charged once the results have been revealed.

The six-month-old child has been taken into care with the mayor saying the whole community is rallying around the baby.