A man accused of being part of a violent break-in during which a woman was assaulted has entered a guilty plea that will spare him further jail time, according to court records.

David S. Dayton, 39, of Fort Dodge, was initially charged with first-degree burglary. He pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon, court records indicate.

Dayton and two other people went into an apartment in the 1500 block of Third Avenue North at about 2 a.m. July 4, according to criminal complaints. Then the woman who lived in the apartment was assaulted with a miniature baseball bat.

In the criminal complaint filed against him, Fort Dodge police wrote that Dayton and another man pinned the woman down while another woman struck her with the bat. However, in his written guilty plea Dayton said he acted as a lookout while the woman was assaulted.

Prosecutors dropped the first-degree burglary charge when Dayton pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon.

The guilty plea was accepted by District Court Judge Kurt Stoebe.

In accordance with the plea agreement, Stoebe sentenced Dayton to 180 days in the county jail, with all but 30 of those days suspended. Dayton was then given credit for the time he already served in jail immediately after his July 26 arrest.

He was also fined $855, but the fine was suspended.

Dayton was ordered to serve one year of probation under the supervision of the Webster County Sheriff’s Office.

Stoebe issued an order barring Dayton from having any contact with the woman who was assaulted for five years.

Two other people charged in connection with the incident, John C. Schlack and Keila Stabler, both of Fort Dodge, await trial on charges of first-degree burglary. Schlack is also charged with violation of parole.