A man has been jailed for at least 13 years for murdering his wife and stabbing a man who went to her assistance.

Mandeep Singh was sentenced today in the High Court in Auckland where he received a life sentence.

Last month he pleaded guilty to murdering Parmita Rani and attempting to murder Parminder Sandhu.

Singh claimed he's been provoked into the committing the killing after Ms Singh left him for another man.

Justice Woolford rejected that as a mitigating factor.