Tara Brown's daughter asks for 'mummy' every day

The young daughter of slain New Zealand woman Tara Brown still asks after her "mummy" and wants to know if she will get a new one "just like" her.

The heartbreaking revelation was made by Brown's mother Natalie Hinton in an interview with the Nine Network's Today show on Tuesday morning, news.com.au reported.

"There is not a day go by that she doesn't ask for Tara. We started with 'I miss mummy. I want mummy'. Then we moved to 'I want to see mummy.' And then just the other week, she asked me if she was going to get a new mummy. Just like her mummy."

Hinton said her granddaughter - who was only 3 years old when her mother was brutally killed in September 2015 - missed her mother "every day".

The girl's father - bikie Lionel Patea - was yesterday jailed for life after pleading guilty to her murder on what was to have been the first day of his trial at the Queensland Supreme Court. He will have to spend at least 20 years behind bars before he is eligible for parole.

Hinton said she was grateful for the sentence, but it would never bring back Tara.

"There was a sense of relief we didn't have to endure a non-guilty plea."

She told Today about the events that led to her daughter's murder - that included a visit to police a week before she was killed.

"Lionel Patea had a record as long as our arms. He was known [to police for] his violent behaviour. He was known as a Bandido bikie and Tara was scared. She was hoping the police would put in place the domestic violence order."

Asked whether Tara told police her life was in danger, Hinton replied: "Yes".

She said police asked her why she didn't come to them straight away. She wished they had of listened to her daughter.

"Just err on the side of caution and, you know, produce an order at least - I mean, look, it might have just been a piece of paper as far as he was concerned, but you know, something's better than nothing."

Patea tried to pass a note to Hinton and her family through the court at his sentencing. Hinton said she didn't have it and would never read it.

"His apology could have happened before his actions. His apology to Tara. It's worth nothing now that she's gone."

Hinton said her message to any woman in a violent relationship, or who was fearful of her former partner, was to seek help.

"Just gather your strength. Find your support. Whether it be a family member, a friend, a doctor, a teacher. There is help out there. And that help can keep you safe."

It was too late for her daughter, but she hoped the advice was enough to save someone's life.

"She was beautiful. From inside and out. She wanted to make a difference. She ... striven for the best."