Tauranga man Tamati Mason has been sentenced to life in prision for the murder of Tauranga woman Sandra Brown.

Mason earlier pleaded guilty to the 54-year-old's murder and the attempted murder of her daughter, and his former partner, Kate Brown in Bellevue last February.

Tamati Mason, who admitted killing Bellevue mother Sandra Brown at her home on February 20, 2011, is sentenced to life in jail.

He appeared in the High Court in Rotorua today where he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years.

Before admitting his guilt, Mason was challenging the court's right to try him, and wanted to pursue a customary law process, but changed his mind following Justice Heath's ruling earlier this year that the high court did have jurisdiction.

Mason is the ex-partner of Kate Brown. They were together for about eight years before a break up more than three years before the attack.

According to the Crown's summary of facts, Mason met Kate Brown in the supermarket six months prior and became abusive.

In the early hours of February 20, 2011 Mason drove to the Brown's home in Bellevue with the intention of damaging property.

He then punched the side window on Kate's brother's vehicle badly cutting his arm.

He went home bandaged himself up and returned with two knives, kicking in the front door and stabbing Sandra Brown when she walked out of her upstairs bedroom.

The summary report states Mason then stabbed Kate Brown twice in the chest when she was alerted by her mother's screams. There followed a verbal exchange with Kate before Mason left, calling 111 from the house phone and leaving the knives on the kitchen bench.

Mrs Brown died at the scene.

Mason was found collapsed on the footpath outside bleeding heavily from cuts to his arm and hand.