A Perth carer who admitted leaving an autistic, non-verbal 25-year-old trapped inside a car on a blistering hot day has narrowly avoided jail.

Tsz Wing Tam, 38, was sentenced in Joondalup Magistrates Court this morning after pleading guilty to endangering the life, health and safety of Jefferson Do, and also to stealing his money.

Tam admitted leaving Do in the back seat of a car at Lakeside Joondalup Shopping Centre for more than two hours on January 13, as the outdoor temperatures reached 40 degrees, while he used his client’s money to buy himself lunch.

Emergency crews forced their way into the car to rescue the man after members of the public saw he was in distress and beating his chest.

Tam, who was Do’s carer for eight years, said he had been asked by his wife to buy an item that was on sale at Kmart, and that it was “easier to do” without Do.

During the shopping trip he also purchased hot chips and ice cream, placing the receipt back into Do’s wallet to make it look like it was bought for him.

He was sentenced to a 12-month suspended prison order and eight-month community-based order this morning.

In the wake of the incident, Do’s brother Harry said they would never trust another carer the same way again.

“It’s really difficult to deal with because it’s hard to see someone you trusted for so long in this light,” he said.

“We never suspected this from [Tam] and knowing he has done this behind our backs is really scary.”