A man who stabbed a woman to death with a boning knife in front of her two children will serve a jail term for as long as the number of knife wounds he inflicted.

Ngawai Kararaina Maria Himiona had her young baby sleeping in between her legs and her 4-year-old was also in the room of their Hamilton home late on December 16, 2020.

Her 35-year-old killer - who has continued interim name suppression inflicted 17 stab wounds to Himiona, including to her neck and abdomen.

Himiona's family packed the public gallery in the High Court at Hamilton today to see her killer jailed for 17 years.

Himiona's mother, Donna-Maria, told the judge her "world came tumbling down" upon hearing her daughter had been murdered.

It was made even harder as she was unable to be there for her, "to protect her and keep her safe from harm".

"I'm so sorry."

The sorrow among the whanau was so deep, Ngawai's Australian-based brother died 10 months later in non-suspicious circumstances.

Her Sydney-based sister Natasha Himiona promised her that her "precious babies will be in good hands … and I hope that we get the justice we deserve".

The victim was also described as having a "heart of gold" and a "pure and loving soul".

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Justice Moore said there were no mitigating features but instead highlighted aggravating features.

It was plain the murder was "brutal, deprived and callous" to the high standard necessary for Section 104 and a minimum term of imprisonment of 17 years.

'Dad, I have done bad'

Himiona was the mother of four children aged 4 months, 4 years, 10 years and 13 years.

On the day of her death, the man had subjected her to a beating that broke her nose and bruised her face and scalp.

That evening, the eldest of the four children contacted a woman to come over in fear there would be another fight.

She arrived at 9.15pm and tried to mediate.

Himiona went into a bedroom while the woman attempted to keep the killer away from her in the kitchen.

However, the man realised that he was being kept from the room and suspected that Himiona had called police.

He charged past the woman and went into the bedroom, where he confronted Himiona.

He grabbed the phone and saw that she had called 111 and without saying anything, left the room and grabbed a large boning knife.

Himiona was laying on the bed with their 4-month-old baby sleeping between her legs. Their 4-year-old was awake in the room.

The man leaped over Himiona and began a "frenzied" attack, stabbing her 17 times to the neck, chest, abdomen and limbs.

He then went to his parents' property and told his father, "Dad I have done bad, I have done bad, I am going away for a long time. I hope I haven't killed Ngawai. I might have killed her ... I stabbed Ngawai. I have done bad. I have done bad."

Neighbours ran to try and help, applying pressure to her wounds and attempting CPR as they waited for emergency services.

She died soon after.

- Belinda Feek, Open Justice