Lionel Patea, who killed Tara Brown as she lay trapped in her car on a Gold Coast road, has two years shaved off his sentence

New Zealand-born Tara Brown was murdered in September 2015. Photo / File

Murderer Lionel Patea has had two years shaved off his sentence for breaching a domestic violence order but will not spend any less time in jail.

Patea was sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of 20 years for murdering his ex-partner, New Zealander Tara Brown, on the Gold Coast in 2015.

Patea appeared briefly in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Tuesday where his five-year sentence for breaching a DVO was reduced to three years because of an administrative error.

Patea, left, has had two years shaved off his sentence. Photo / via Instagram

The former Bandidos bikie had pleaded guilty to Brown's murder on the first day of his trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court in February.

Patea, 25, bludgeoned Brown, 24, to death with a 7.8kg metal fire hydrant cover as she lay trapped in an overturned vehicle on September 8, 2015.

The Kiwi woman was killed after Patea ran her car off a Gold Coast suburban street.

Brown had just dropped off her three-year-old daughter at daycare when Patea chased down her hatchback with a four-wheel-drive.

She had been hiding from him at a safe house and friends' homes since taking out a domestic violence order against him just days earlier.

The pair had been together since 2011 - and they had a daughter the following year.