ST. THOMAS - David Carter, the man accused of threatening witnesses in a stabbing case against him, will remain free on bail but the court has restricted where he can go while he awaits trial.

V.I. Superior Court Judge James Carroll, III, decided not to change Carter's $1,000 bail and allowed him to stay out of jail provided he goes to work, to Alcoholics Anonymous, to his probation officer, to his attorney's office and continues his medications. Carter also is not allowed to have any contact with the man he is charged with stabbing, Michael Fox, or the witnesses in the case. Carter is to remain on house arrest when not at one of the locations approved by the court.

Carroll told the court-appointed, third-party custodian there would be consequences if Carter does not stick to all of the conditions of his bail.

"He's going to spend his time waiting for his trial in jail," Carroll warned.

Carter was accused of leaving a threatening voicemail message for two witnesses who say they saw him stab Fox in the neck during an altercation.

According to police, Fox was stabbed after he tried to stop Carter from hitting another man at a benefit organized to raise money for the burial of Dennis Richardson, 51, who was murdered in the pre-dawn hours of Oct. 14 at Mandahl Bay beach, where two men stabbed him to death and raped his female companion.

Carter, 33, was arrested and charged with first-degree assault, third-degree assault and possession of a deadly weapon in the stabbing of Fox.

He was granted bail after V.I. Superior Court Magistrate Judge Kathleen Mackay reduced the bail amount from $110,000 to $10,000 and allowed him to pay 10 percent - $1,000 - to get out of jail. He made bail on Oct. 23 and was released.

Assistant Attorney General Claude Walker initially asked Carroll to revoke Carter's bail because of the reported threat to witnesses but that request was denied.

The two witnesses claim Carter called and left a threatening message. The Daily News obtained a copy of the recording and transcribed its contents:

"This here is Dave. I'm just calling to let you know that I'm going to hide in the bushes outside of your house. I might be hiding in the bushes outside your job. I might be hiding in the bushes at the (expletive) McDonald's. I might be hiding in the bushes somewhere," the voice said on the recording.

To date, V.I. Police have not obtained a copy of the tape.

Carter denied calling the witnesses and leaving the message.

"I have no clue," Carter said when asked who it was on the recording. "But it's not me."

A trial date has not been set.

- Contact reporter Ailene Torres at 774-8772 ext. 304 or e-mail atorres@dailynews.vi.