A prolific burglar who says he found God in Westgate was jailed for four-and-a-half years yesterday.A prosecutor recommended during a previous hearing that 44-year-old Neville Woods — a drug addict who has been stealing for 30 years — should get eight to 12 years in jail.However, after hearing arguments yesterday that Woods might benefit from counselling and treatment, Puisne Judge Charles-Etta Simmons gave him a lesser sentence followed by probation.“You’re a powerful man,” she told Woods.“You have a lot of power in your two hands — are you going to use it for your benefit or your interests?”“For my benefit,” replied Woods, who quoted scripture and said he has found God since being on remand in prison.“All this time I have been trying to do it differently and I have been led down a destructive road and my eyes were opened the other day when I read a passage of scripture,” he explained, quoting Romans 8:1 about those "who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit".He added: “I am truly sorry for being in front of the courts again. I had the opportunity [before] to work and I felt good. I felt like a changed man, but when I got laid off, everything went down a destructive spiral.”The defendant, from St George’s, pleaded guilty during a previous court appearance to one count of theft and three of handling stolen goods in December 2012. His catalogue of previous crimes include robbery armed with a machete, house and commercial burglaries and receiving stolen goods.The judge noted that she could only make a probation order following a prison sentence of less than five years.Woods has been jailed and given probation orders, including the offer of counselling and treatment, before. He told the judge that previous attempts to get his life on track failed due to unemployment and homelessness.Prosecutor Maria Sofianos said it is time “to try something different,” and defence lawyer Oonagh Vaucrossen agreed.“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again,” noted Ms Sofianos yesterday.“If it’s a hands-on approach that he needs, hopefully all the agencies will work together. That would help him. I am prepared to step back a little bit [on the recommended sentence], and give a little bit of leeway to the court and defence in that regard”.She added: “If Mr Woods breaches his probation he will be straight back here [in court] and he can’t say he hasn’t had a chance.”Imposing the prison term and probation order, Puisne Judge Charles-Etta Simmons said probation officers can order Woods into treatment, make him wear an electronic tag to track his movements, put him on curfew and ban him from associating with troublesome individuals, if they see fit.Woods must also refrain from using drugs and alcohol and complete recommended programmes inside Westgate and after he leaves.The judge told him: “Your life is in your hands and it all starts from today. How you behave in Westgate and on probation will depend on you putting into effect all the skills you have acquired in understanding what addiction is about.”Woods previously hit the headlines over a series of house burglaries in St David’s in May 2009. On that occasion, Supreme Court heard, a police officer chased him and dived into the sea to catch him and retrieve the items he’d stolen.Invited to comment on the outcome of the latest case, the victim of Woods’ latest burglary, John Stout of Smith’s, said: “I don’t think whether he gets four-and-a-half years or eight to 12 years is important really. While he’s in Westgate it’s important he gets treatment and acquires some meaningful skills, so that when he comes out he can live a law-abiding lifestyle and get a job. The challenge is that he’s going to be competing with a bunch of law-abiding people who also can’t get jobs.”Mr Stout, who is a Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator, also expressed concern that “if after 30 years he’s not got the message, maybe we are putting off the inevitable”.He explained that Woods stole items including his gold cufflinks and objects d’art from the family home — leaving his wife “very upset”. Only some of the stolen goods have been recovered.