The move was "imminent", he said last night.
"It's my friend's house and it's not fair that he's an innocent victim in this. I'm involved in a very sensitive moral issue, which some people do react quite extremely about, so I've got to take the abuse and attacks that come with that," he said.
"But, it's not fair that he's affected, because he isn't involved in the issue." The South Africa-based scientist was convicted in October of aiding the 2006 death of his terminally ill mother, Dunedin doctor Patricia Elizabeth Davison (85), by acceding to her request for morphine.
He was only charged after he admitted his actions in a book, Before We Say Goodbye, and was convicted and sentenced to five months' home detention, to be served at the Kaikorai home of long-time friend John Landreth.
"He doesn't want me to go and I was quite settled," Davison said.
"But it's wise to move because of the possibility of another attack. By moving, it will make them back off, because they won't know where I live."
Davison also stayed at Mr Landreth's house during his October trial.
"... I wasn't under house arrest then, so I could come and go. This has been very scary. Before, I was just doing my time. Now, I'm doing my time, with some big hurdles.
"But, the person whose house I'm moving to is very comfortable with me being there. And I've only got a travel bag. It's not like I've got a whole house to move."
Despite the religious overtones of the threats, which were constructed with letters cut from magazines, he does not believe they were from a genuinely religious person.
"I just can't accept they came from a religious or church-going person. I think someone is using the church to hide behind. "
Davison's partner, Raine, and children, Flynn (3) and Finnian (1), have been waiting for his return to Cape Town since he was sentenced in the High Court at Dunedin on October 27 last year.
"You settle into a routine and try to make each day the same. I get up, do some work, exercise and eat. Then I do the same thing in the afternoon. If you stick to a routine it makes the the days easier."
Dunedin police fingerprinted the letters yesterday and said they were taking the death threats seriously.
Davison, who is head of the University of Western Cape forensic DNA laboratory in South Africa, has also sent the envelopes to be DNA-tested at his Cape Town laboratory.
His sentence will be completed on April 25.
